Families distraught as suspected arson razes childcare unit

Roy Warren surveys the remains after a fire swept through Planet Kids in New Lynn. Photo / Sarah Ivey

Families have been left devastated after a suspected arson attack destroyed a childcare centre in New Lynn on Saturday night and prompted an asbestos health scare.

No one was inside when flames leapt 5m from the roof in the Rankin Ave building at 6.30pm.

However, the night before children held a sleep-over at Planet Kids as part of a holiday programme.

A fire then would have been a calamity, said fire safety officer Roy Warren as he sifted through the sodden, stinking mass of charred timber.

On weekdays, the centre has up to 90 children aged from 3-month-old babies to 12-year-olds, and 25 staff.

Mr Warren said police would view CCTV footage from the nearby railway station to try to find who was responsible.

The fire started in pieces of twig fence panel on top of a pile of rubber mats.

Yesterday, dozens of tearful staff and parents visited the scene to offer support to directors Debbie Wymer and Mark Stitt.

"Families coming here are devastated," said Mr Stitt. "It throws everybody out and we can't arrange alternatives for childcare and pre-school until Tuesday."

Play equipment was lost, including a climbing wall which melted.

Inside, pieces of asbestos roofing littered the floor. A cupboard by a fire escape door was charred and deformed yet its contents of kiddies' folded woollen garments were unscathed.

The building has been used by childcare companies for more than a decade.

Residents of nearby apartments were worried about projectiles of asbestos from the blazing roof shooting into the sky.

Public health officials rushed to the fire to assess the risk and to call on dozens of residents to advise on how to safely clean any dust until the building is demolished.

"All of a sudden, we saw smoke coming out and first thing we closed windows, because we knew the roof was asbestos," said Louis Allerby, whose house is only separated from the shed-like structure by a driveway.

"We had stuff landing on our decks from the roof explosions and you could feel the heat on our windows.

"We were thinking 'should we bail'?"

Neighbour Lily Ho said the wind direction carried thick black smoke away from her home. But the heat was so intense she watered her garden to protect plants.

Medical Officer of Health Dr Cathy Pikholz said the wind direction suggested health risks would be low but she was awaiting results of tests for the presence of asbestos.

A single exposure to asbestos dust has been known to be harmful.

Waitakere City council has owned the 1950s former railways goods shed for eight years.

It had planned to demolish it at Christmas to make way for roading improvements in New Lynn, said its infrastructure chairman Derek Battersby.

Nikau Demolition operations manager Danny Halley reached the scene early yesterday, and was concerned about asbestos blowing about from debris on the driveway, railway line and in the car park for New Lynn's community centre.

His team arrived with special equipment and clothing for the task, which included cleaning up neighbouring houses.

Last night, a council spokeswoman said it would contact Mr Stitt to try to find alternative premises until the end of the year.