Fire at industrial building in Ōtaki

Fire crews are battling a blaze at a factory that manufactures rubber and PVC playground safety mats in the Kāpiti town of Ōtaki.

Fire and Emergency was called to the scene at Riverbank Road at 6.20am on Friday.

Matta factory manager Tim Scott said he was alerted early this morning, and was driving back to Ōtaki from Auckland to assess the damage.

The fire is not yet under control, and seven crews are working on it, with support from an aerial appliance, command unit and operational support.

The owner of a business near the factory on fire said it looked like the building had been reduced to its frame.

The business owner, who did not want to be named, said it was a hive of activity.

Speaking to RNZ from nearby the scene on Riverbank Road, she said fire trucks and firefighters were everywhere, including one on a tall ladder hosing down the building.

All she could see of the building was its steel frame.

Fire and Emergency said there was no risk of the fire spreading to other properties.

The smoke would be noticeable from a distance, so people should keep their doors and windows shut to keep out the smell, it said.

The public is asked to stay well away from the area.

The fire is not currently being treated as suspicious.

It is the third fire reported in Ōtaki in the past week.

Two 17 year olds were referred to Youth Services in relation to a bush fire at Ōtaki Beach last Saturday, 23 March.

And crews rushed to a large blaze at a workshop at Swamp Road and found a single-storey complex well-alight on Friday, 22 March.