Massive fire at Auckland caryard in Penrose industrial area now extinguished

Fire and Emergency New Zealand has now fully extinguished the huge fire that engulfed a car sales and storage yard in Auckland’s Penrose on Sunday morning.

Emergency services were called to the fire on Maurice Rd in the Penrose industrial area just before 1am.

Auckland City assistant commander Roger Callister told the Herald from the scene in the early hours of this morning that they were dealing with multiple explosions from inside the building – but at the time they were unsure of the sources.

“Could be batteries, could be oxyacetylene, could be LPG,” said Callister.

Callister estimated around 75% of the 130m x 15m, seven-metre-high warehouse had fire spreading through it.

Fire and Emergency northern shift manager Michael Anderson said the building was well alight when crews arrived.

Fire and emergency crews from across Auckland battled a large blaze at a warehouse on Maurice Road, Penrose. Photo / Hayden Woodward

Nine fire engines, three ladder trucks, a command unit and multiple support vehicles and about 50 personnel are at the blaze.

A fire investigator was also at the scene and would be there “for some time”.

“[We] ask that public avoid the area and allow us to operate safely.”

Fire and emergency crews from across Auckland Region continue to battle a large blaze at a car yard on Maurice Road, Penrose. Photo / Hayden Woodward

As of mid Sunday morning, Fire and Emergency were still trying to ascertain exactly what was inside the building.

“It appears that we’ve got quite a few cars inside the building on one part of the building, but where most of the fire is, is another tenancy which we haven’t been able to determine what’s going on, what’s being stored in there,” Callister said.

Callister said Maurice Rd will be closed for “quite a few hours”.