Investigation into fire at Whangārei laundromat and dry cleaning business completed

The fire started about 11.20pm last Wednesday. Photo / Denise Piper

Fire experts have completed an investigation into a blaze that ripped through a Whangārei laundromat and dry cleaning service last week.

A Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fenz) spokesperson said the cause of the fire was “most likely a failure in a multibox”.

Fire crews from six Northland stations and an aerial appliance from Auckland Central battled the flames for more than six hours after first being alerted to the fire at about 11.20pm last Wednesday.

The fire on the corner of Commerce St and Okara Dr also impacted Smart Water and Irrigation – a business beside the fire-damaged Northland Dry Cleaners.

The 50m x 20m laundromat and dry cleaning building was “well involved” in the fire by the time firefighters arrived. No one was inside the premises or injured.

Smoke caused by the fire spread through Raumanga and Maunu, resulting in a public health warning.

This morning the laundromat/dry cleaning business texted its customers about its reduced capacity because of the fire. It urged customers to “please bear with us as we re-establish our services”.

“Unfortunately, some items we had for laundry/dry cleaning have been destroyed but rest assured that we have records for all of these items. We will contact those affected and work with you to reimburse/replace them.”

The text recommended two other local businesses customers could use meantime.