Firefighters tackle small blaze at Gisborne’s Cedenco factory

The Cedenco factory in the industrial subdivision was evacuated on Thursday night after a small fire started in machinery handling squash powder.

Firefighters were called to the Cedenco factory in Gisborne’s industrial subdivision on Thursday night after a small fire started in machinery.

The alarm was sounded about 6.30pm.

“The whole of the factory was evacuated,” a senior firefighter said.

“A small fire had started in machinery handling squash powder. It was caused by friction in the machinery.”

Four appliances were called to the scene - three from the city brigade and one from the Patutahi volunteers.

“We cooled the overheated machinery down and were there until about 9.30pm,” the firefighter said.

Also on Thursday, Fire and Emergency NZ in Gisborne sent an appliance and crew to Wairoa about 5pm to help out with a large scrub fire.

It was burning in a small block of pine trees near the landfill in Fraser St.

The Gisborne crew was there for about five hours.