Lotu Fuli Photo: RNZ / Sara Vui-Talitu
A Manukau councillor says it is disappointing to hear of yet another fire at an industrial site in her ward area.
On Friday afternoon, a large fire started at a timber factory in Otahuhu and spread to an automotive spray-paint storage facility next door.
Train services were suspended for hours due to how close the fire was to the tracks.
Lotu Fuli said fires in South Auckland's industrial areas were getting more frequent, urging businesses to do more to prevent these incidents.
"My message to them was just to be more vigilant, to take a bit more responsibility and ownership of the issue, to work with our FENZ (Fire and Emergency) team, our staff over there who are the experts, and to work with our compliance officers."
Firefighters were called to the building on McGee Street about 3.20pm on Friday and found it well ablaze. Fifteen trucks and two support vehicles were battling the blaze at its peak. It was brought under control by about 9pm.
In May, there was a fire at a scrap metal yard in South Auckland causing toxic smoke, and another at a factory in Takanini.
In June a broke out at a wrecking car yard in Ōtāhuhu.
In 2023 a scrap metal fire in Favona burned for more than a day.
Fuli said residents in the Māngere-Ōtāhuhu Local Board area have been particularly impacted by these events.
Firefighters remained at the site of Friday's fire. FENZ said there were fewer crews than Friday night, but firefighters would remain at the site to dampen down hotspots.
They said the fire was largely extinguished, but it would take several more hours to ensure all of the material had been burnt out.
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