A vegetation fire behind a pharmaceutical manufacturing site near Wellington Airport has been extinguished, after sending a plume of smoke over the airport and into the southern suburbs. The blaze burned a roughly 80-foot-wide wedge of scrub up a steep hillside behind the building, leaving a charred triangular patch along the slope.
Workers at the business evacuated just before 2:00 p.m. when construction crews nearby raised the alarm, and they were cleared to return to the premises just before 3:00 p.m.
Fire and Emergency (FENZ) Wellington District Commander Gareth Hughes said crews would continue to monitor the area for flare-ups and work to determine how the fire started. Fires on slopes can spread rapidly with the wind, he noted, so identifying the initial ignition point would require more investigation about where the fire began.
A large plume of smoke drifted across the airport toward the southern suburbs. Four fire appliances and a command unit attended the scene at Moa Point, with firefighters along the ridgeline actively dampening hotspots.
A spokesperson advised nearby residents to close doors and windows and remain indoors if affected, and noted that the southern end of Stewart Duff Drive, where crews were operating, was closed to traffic. People were urged to avoid the area and use the alternative entrance to Wellington Airport.
Firefighters continued working to quell the blaze from the ridge, working to suppress hotspots as the southeasterly wind pushed smoke toward the city. An airport spokesperson confirmed the fire was not on airport land and that flight operations continued normally.
Wellington City Council reported the fire occurred in scrub behind its sludge minimisation facility, noting there were no onsite injuries. Police had closed the coastal road near both sides of Stewart Duff Drive, though the area has since reopened.
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