Waimakariri under watch following factory fire

The Waimakariri River is being closely monitored after yesterday's large fire at a plastics recycling factory in North Canterbury, which has caused a contamination scare.

Dozens of firefighters battled for hours to put out the blaze at the New Zealand Plastic Recycling plant in Kaiapoi. Investigators are treating the fire as suspicious. Residents in nearby streets were forced to evacuate their homes because of toxic fumes.

Tony Smith from Environment Canterbury said water runoff from the fire contains plastic beads and was getting into the Kaikaanui Stream which flows into the Waimakariri. Fish species such as eels were affected and some were rescued and released further down the river.

Environment Canterbury has tested the water quality but the results will not available for a few weeks. Mr Smith said people should not use waterways if they thought they looked unhealthy.

- NEWSTALK ZB