Fire officers damp down a pile of compost that spontaneously combusted in Castlecliff yesterday. Photo/Bevan Conley
Fire officers damp down a pile of compost that spontaneously combusted in Castlecliff yesterday. Photo/Bevan Conley
A "potentially disastrous" fire at a local freezing works in the weekend was quickly contained, thanks to the quick actions of firefighters.
Station officer Bryan Coskerie from the Wanganui Fire Service said a refrigeration unit in a service room at the cafeteria at Affco Imlay caught fire just after 4amon Saturday.
"It started burning the room it was in. Fortunately, Imlay has an automatic warning system, which alerted us, and we were able to be there in two or three minutes.
"If we hadn't been, it would have been potentially dangerous for the plant," Mr Coskerie said.
He said once crews discovered the fire's location, it was contained and did not spread to the rest of the cafeteria.
Meanwhile, spontaneous combustion due to hot weather is believed to be behind two fire service call-outs on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.
Mr Coskerie said piles of compost in a green waste storage area in Rogers St, Castlecliff, caught fire.
"It could have been local kids, but I think it's more likely it spontaneously combusted through heat. It's organic, and heat builds up inside it," he said.
