By RNZ
The Professional Firefighters Union says crews were “on the back foot” responding to a devastating blaze in Lower Hutt overnight.
The fire, which engulfed a commercial building in Petone shortly after midnight, escalated to third alarm, the union said, drawing in crews from across the Wellington region.
Fire and Emergency said the fire had been brought under control by early morning, but crews were still on the scene today and the damage was extensive.
Apparelmaster, the business operating from the site, has been contacted for comment.
Police told RNZ there were no injuries and no ongoing road closures.
Hayden Overton, who works at a business nearby, said the fire did not spread far and his business was not affected.
“The road was all blocked off, and there were fire engines everywhere, no smoke or anything, and then a whole load of police turned up.”
He said the area had a strong smell, but the situation appeared to be under control.
NZPFU Wellington secretary and station officer Kurt Walsh told RNZ the warehouse on Petone Ave had been “destroyed” and crews would have been scrambling to get to the blaze.
He said the nearest station to the fire – Hutt City – had been closed in 2021 because of toxic black mould.
Crews had been relocated to stations 10 minutes away, which meant firefighters couldn’t respond as quickly to emergencies in and around the Petone area.
“This morning ... they would have been tipped out to a building fire, and they’d be going, ‘Sh**’. Y’know, you’re already on the back foot because it’s taking longer for you to get there, and it really does weigh heavy on them.
“It’s been like this for five years, and it does impact the staff severely.”
RNZ has contacted Fire and Emergency NZ for comment.
Walsh said an operational Hutt City station might not have changed the outcome of the fire, but he believed its ongoing closure put the community at risk.
Bureaucracy within Fire and Emergency was hindering progress on reinstating it, he said.
The area was busy, with thousands of residents and industrial complexes, and Fire and Emergency needed to “pull trigger” on a Hutt City station.
“Someone’s just got to make a decision and go, we’re doing this, and that’s it – y’know, they need to put the community first.”
Fire and Emergency told RNZ in August that Lower Hutt had the same number of firefighters responding to emergencies as it always had.
“We moved our people to Avalon because their previous building wasn’t safe.
“Operational requirements for Hutt City will be approved by the end of September, and a business case is underway. That work tells us what’s needed, where, and what it costs.”
RNZ has requested an update from Fire and Emergency on the business case.