DSK still waiting eight months after fire

More than eight months since the Hawk Packaging fire, neighbour DSK Engineering is still waiting for its back wall to be replaced.

Flames leapt more than 20m in an inferno firefighters described as one of the fiercest they had ever fought.

With apple bins and pallets stacked with paper and cardboard for the upcoming apple harvest, there was more than enough fuel for the fire.

"You don't get any bigger," fire service area commander Chris Nicoll said at the time. Fire crews from as far as Wellington were called to the blaze which threatened water supplies to fight it.

DSK managing director Shane Kerrisk said it was business as usual for the firm, except their insurance premiums had risen.

"We still have to have our back wall replaced - the fire melted everything but it has taken a long time for insurance to be sorted out," he said.

It is the second time the wall has been damaged by fire at Hawk Packaging - it was replaced after the first fire.

"Insurance installed a fireproof poly-panel after the first fire which was great, it wasn't affected by the fire, whereas previously the polystyrene between the two sheets melted out. This time it has remained intact but it has damaged the outer surface and it needs to be replaced.

"The only pain in the butt for us is we have to install a temporary curtain - a lot of the welding we do you can't do in a windy environment - gases get blown around.

"Last time they did it, the insurance company paid for a security company to come in and they came in 24/7 and monitored the site. It is in our high-bay area where we do a lot of the bigger tanks but that is very seasonal because it is winery related - we should be fine."