Authorities say fighting a fire in a large Inghams chicken shed in the Matamata area has been “very difficult” but it is now contained.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fenz) northern shift manager Michael Anderson said 40 firefighters battled the blaze, which was first reported on Pohlen Rd about 10.30am.
Anderson said firefighters remained on-site to dampen down hotspots and prevent any from spreading. He was not able to say what the full extent of the damage was, nor the cause of the fire.
Fenz assistant commander of operations Blair Kiely, who was at the fire scene, said it was “very difficult” with challenging conditions to fight the fire. These were mainly due to the heat but also because once the power was cut, they lost access to an unreticulated water supply.
This meant multiple trips by the water tankers to fill up in Waharoa, he said.
Kiely said there were 10 sheds on the property, and only one measuring 120m long and 15m wide was destroyed.
It was empty because it was undergoing maintenance, he said.
He said firefighters did “exceptionally well” to contain the blaze to a single shed and prevent the fire from spreading to nearby buildings, including one used as a “staff mess”.
Kiely said the cause of the fire was yet to be established and a fire investigator was on the scene.
The fire measured 150m by 20m. Five fire trucks, three water tankers and several support vehicles attended the scene.
Kiely said at the height of the fire, 40 firefighters from Matamata, Te Aroha, Morrinsville, Tīrau, Chartwell and Ngāruawāhia were present.
A Hato Hone St John ambulance also entered the property yesterday afternoon.
A spokesman said one patient was treated at the scene for a “minor” condition.
Anderson would not confirm who owned the property, but a sign near the entrance gate reads: “Inghams Biosecurity Area - strictly no entry.”
In a written statement, Matthew Easton, general manager of operations for Inghams Enterprises (NZ) Pty Limited, confirmed to the Bay of Plenty Times the fire that “broke out” this morning involved a shed at one of Inghams’ farms in Matamata.
“Emergency services attended the scene promptly and are currently working to extinguish the fire. The farm was empty at the time and was in the process of being cleaned,” Easton said.
“All Inghams staff are safe and accounted for,” he said.
Easton said there was no risk to other sheds at the site, and Inghams did not expect any impact on its supply or production capacity.
“Inghams is working with the relevant authorities,” he said.
A police spokesperson earlier said they received a report of a chicken shed on fire at 10.40am.
Police attended the scene, there were no reports of injuries, the shed was isolated in a paddock, and smoke did not affect traffic, the spokesperson said.
Sandra Conchie is a senior journalist at the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post who has been a journalist for 24 years. She mainly covers police, court and other justice stories, as well as general news. She has been a Canon Media Awards regional/community reporter of the year.