Smoke billows across the Southern Motorway. Photo / Supplied
Smoke billows across the Southern Motorway. Photo / Supplied
An explosive fire in a maintenance shed bought a shock end to today's greyhound racing meeting in South Auckland.
But Auckland Greyhound Racing Club officials are counting their blessings after nobody, and no dogs, were injured in the incident.
The maintenance shed caught fire and then its sides blew outjust after the eighth of 10 scheduled races was run at the Manukau track where the club race almost every Sunday.
The maintenance shed caught fire. Photo / Supplied
Smoke blanketed the Southern Motorway and could be seen across Manukau City.
With the meeting operating under level 3 restrictions there were no members of the public on course, only those essential to the running of the meeting after greyhound racing last Tuesday became the first live sport to return after lockdown in New Zealand.
"We have no idea what caused it," AGRC chief executive Robert Death said.
"We keep no fuel in that shed so it is a mystery to us but the most important thing is nobody was hurt.
"But as you can imagine it came as a real shock to everybody here."
Death says one small grace for the club was the major mechanical equipment used by the club, like the tractor to grade the track, were not damaged because they were in use and not in the shed.
Smoke billows across the Southern Motorway. Photo / Supplied
Smoke blanketed the motorway and could be seen right across Manukau City.
The shed was demolished. Photo / Supplied
The incident was caught on live television as the meeting was being telecast around New Zealand and into Australia.
It is not expected to affect the club's future meetings at the venue.
