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A large blaze at an Auckland glass factory has been extinguished.
Up to 70 firefighters in 16 engines fought the blaze at O-I New Zealand, in Penrose, as 120 tonnes of liquefied glass leaked from one of the furnaces at the glass factory.
Roger Callister, assistant area fire manager for central Auckland, said firefighters had to battle intense heat.
"It was like trying to stop a lava flow," Mr Callister said.
"It was like being in a sauna, it was totally full of steam and a lot hotter."
He said firefighters had to be careful the steep structure didn't soften under the heat from the molten glass with a structural collapse likely to have caused serious injuries.
The fire was caused by molten glass escaping from a hole in the brick furnace.
Mr Callister said factory workers will now wait for the glass to cool down before beginning their clean-up.
The factory had a monitored alarm and there was also a 111 call made.
There were no injuries from the blaze.
Mr Callister said the factory had suffered a similar blaze three years ago.
Police were called in during the firefighting operation when a member of the public refused to stop at a fire cordon at the corner of McNabb and Great South Road.
Police declined to comment on the incident.
