TOP STORY: Blaze turns sky black

ROGER MORONEY
A single spark from a cutting torch caused a major fire in a Napier car-wrecking yard yesterday which challenged firefighters and also raised pollution concerns as acrid black smoke smothered the area.
One of the first firefighters on the scene, chief fire officer Ray Brown, said the blaze, which broke out about 2.30pm and tore through about 100 stacked car bodies at Bee Jays Wreckers in Wakefield Street, placed every possible obstacle in the way of fire crews.
"We could see it (rising black smoke) when we left the station," he said.
"It only took minutes to get there but by the time we arrived there were already about 20 cars going up." Mr Brown said the fire was fuelled by every accelerant in the book.
"Plastic, fabric, foam, rubber, oil ... the lot." As more fire crews arrived, including appliances from Hastings and Taradale, it became clear the blaze was not going to be easy to contain and put out.
"It was right at the back of the yard and was surrounded by stacked car bodies. At first we could only get halfway in."
While fire crews ran out hundreds of metres of hose from Wakefield Street into the yard, other crews attacked it from the back, cutting though wire and corrugated-iron fences to get in.
Mr Brown said at first the billowing smoke was going straight up and caused no concerns - but the wind turned southerly and began pushing the plumes toward other businesses in the Niven Street and Thorn Place area, as well as the northern edge of Tamatea.
As a precaution, police evacuated businesses in the smoke line, although staff on neighbouring sites such as Plumbing and Sheetmetal got out of the area before being advised to after their workshop filled with smoke and fumes.
Both Hawke's Bay Regional Council and Napier City Council environmental staff monitored the fire and later reported no pollution effects.
An oil boom was set up in one stream but no oil was detected.
Mr Brown said fire crews who had to edge their way in and lay hoses through the maze of stacked car bodies were further frustrated in their efforts because the fire was blazing inside the cars - their roofs acting like umbrellas as water and foam was rained down on them.
"It was a very difficult fire to fight."
They were also confronted by a string of minor explosions as tyres burst.
About 40 firefighters were involved at the height of the fire, and it took about an hour to finally get under control. Crews remained dampening down until just after 6pm.
Bee Jay's boss Gerald Langas said the fire started after an employee was cutting a ground-down bolt off an exhaust pipe.
He said while precautions were taken it would have been difficult to spot the flying spark through dark goggles.
It set fire to seat upholstery. "We used a fire extinguisher on it but it blew the flames into the hood lining. Once there it was away."
The extinguisher empty, all staff could do was get out of the danger area and call the fire service.
Mr Langas said the affected cars were all new dismantling stock and the loss would be high.
"All we have today is one big mess of molten metal." Assessors were expected at the scene today.
"But the important thing is no one was injured. It's business as usual today."