Raging fire now out at Tauranga plumbing workshop

The Fire Service called the fire "significant". Photo/Google Maps

A significant fire that broke out in a Tauranga plumbing company is now out.

A plumbing company at 27 Birch Ave, Judea was well involved in flames around 5.20am. It was previously thought the blaze was coming from the Tauranga MMA Fight Club. The Fire Service responded with 13 crews who extinguished the blaze.

Fire investigator John Rewi said the fire started in the plumbing storage shed. It was "extensibly damaged" and the fight club suffered some smoke damage. Rewi did not yet know the cause of the fire.

The Fire Service tweeted that the building was extinguished and was ventilated.

"Firefighters have contained fire to the building of origin. [Fire crews] continue to carry out search and rescue and firefighting operations."

There were concerns people were inside the building. But no one was located during a search conducted by firefighters.

The streets were cordoned off by police.

A Police spokeswoman said a caller had alerted them to the blaze and said it looked like the fire was behind a business premise and there were "large flames".