Van Lier Nurseries Owner Harry Van Lier on the devastating fire that destroyed large parts of West Auckland rose nursery. Video / Herald NOW
A Kumeū family nursery is scrambling to save its crop of tropical plants after a massive fire tore through the business, damaging vital equipment and leaving its owner devastated.
While it’s the first day of spring, for Van Lier Nurseries, the promise of slightly warmer temperatures is now only asmall solace.
The business was engulfed by fire on Saturday, losing 7000sq m of equipment - including a crucial heating system.
Devastated owner and operations manager of the exotic plant nursery Harry Van Lier recounted the harrowing past 48 hours.
“I think you prepare for events where you could lose part of your business or equipment, but nothing is quite as gut-wrenching as a fire that takes out so much at once,” he told Herald NOW.
He plans to bring a welder in to temporarily restore the pipes today.
It will just be one of many workarounds the nursery implements as it continues to assess the extent of the damage.
“We’re going to be pretty frantic today trying to figure out a few workarounds to get that up and running and trying to mitigate the damage to the crop that is surviving.”
The Van Lier family has been growing flowers in West Auckland since 1967, building the Kumeū glasshouses in the 2000s.
Harry is the third generation to own and operate the nursery, following in the footsteps of his grandfather, Walter, and father, Theo.
It is still unclear what caused the fire, with investigators reportedly getting no closer to finding a source yesterday.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand has been approached for comment.
