Whangārei warehouse fire: Batteries set alight in second blaze

A warehouse building that caught fire near Whangārei’s Port had to be monitored overnight on Wednesday after a second blaze.

Fire and Emergency crews were called to the already charred building on Kioreroa Rd just before 7.30pm yesterday.

A spokesperson said some batteries had caught fire after a blaze at the same building the previous night.

Crews from Whangārei Fire Station attended and extinguished the fire by submerging the batteries, then monitored throughout the night.

Fire and Emergency earlier said the building was used for storage and installation of solar panels and lithium batteries.

The initial fire had torn through the large warehouse, destroying the back half of the building and leaving corrugated iron misshapen and charred.

This picture taken on Wednesday morning shows the extent of damage to the large building on Kioreroa Rd. Photo / Brodie Stone

Crews were called to the scene about 7.25pm on Tuesday, with the two-storey building well-involved upon arrival.

Large plumes of smoke filled the air as the fire burned, resulting in a smoke advisory for nearby residents, which was lifted at 1.30am on Wednesday.

Three investigators were at the warehouse yesterday to figure out what caused the blaze.

Fire investigator Greg Hartwell told the Advocate the building did not have automatic fire detection or a sprinkler system.

It was a passing member of the public who saw the smoke, he said.

The cause of the first fire is yet to be revealed.

Brodie Stone covers crime and emergency for the Northern Advocate. She has spent most of her life in Whangārei and is passionate about delving into issues that matter to Northlanders and beyond.