Hamilton container fire suspicious

A large fire at a freight depot in Hamilton last night is being treated as suspicious.

Thirteen fire appliances took defensive positions when battling the blaze on Kent St, in the suburb of Frankton, fearing about eight high-pressure cylinders nearby could explode, fire safety investigator Ross Fleet said.

It was later determined the cylinders were filled with non-flammable gas, he said.

It appeared the fire started in some pallets and spread to two open-ended shipping containers, one holding firewood and the other some household furnishings.

There was no apparent accidental cause for the fire, and after speaking with the property's occupier it was decided the fire should be treated as suspicious, Mr Fleet said.

The Hamilton CIB was investigating.

- NZPA