Fire breaks out at foundry
‘‘It went through the door then up through the roof... I just heard it go ‘whoosh’ then all the flames came out.’’
Newell said the building had thick black smoke pouring out of it, and would have been burning strongly for two to three minutes before the first fire truck arrived.
Flames were also coming out of a vent at the opposite end of the building, he said.
The fire has caused significant damage to the building’s roof.
Firefighters who entered the building had to be hosed down after learning the entire roof of the building contained asbestos.
Fire service Manawatu area commander Esitone Pauga confirmed there had been no injuries.
Fire service Manawatu assistant area commander Rodger Calder said asbestos was common in older buildings.
‘‘There are always concerns with asbestos, but it is damp at the moment. We’re just worried about the wind.’’
Calder said they would be keeping people away from the area until they knew more about the asbestos risk.
Nearby businesses had been informed.
Milson Foundry general manager Geoff Hintz said the building was staffed with numbers in the ‘‘high 20s’’ and everyone had been evacuated when the fire occurred.
‘‘Until we have had time to ascertain the damage I can’t speculate as to how much damage there is, what we will do with the plant and how we move forward from here,’’ Hintz said.
The company makes metal castings for the agricultural industry.
Hintz said he was unsure how old the building was and could not comment on whether the fire would affect any shipments.
They would know more when the damage had been assessed.
Malden St was closed last night because of safety concerns.