Dispute over risk advice in factory fire probe | Hawkes Bay News | Local News in Hawkes Bay

Disputes over whether official recommendations were given to owners of a Hastings packaging plant before it was razed by fire this week will form part of investigations around the blaze.

The Tuesday night fire at Hawk Packaging on Tomoana Rd was the third at the factory since March last year.

The inferno destroyed the factory, caused evacuations of nearby houses, required 14 appliances with more than 80 firefighters from as far away as Woodville and Palmerston North, and could be seen from Napier and Waimarama.

Speculation has been rife management were told by the Fire Service and Hastings District Council of risks that existed around storage and over-supply of its product - pallets of cardboard egg and apple packaging.

Hawke's Bay assistant area commander Alan Bamber said it was standard practice to advise building owners after a fire, so the investigation would determine what was recommended, and the nature of those recommendations.

"I can confirm that it - what was said and what was done after the previous fires - will be part of the investigation," he said.

"We have a computer system and we always go back in to see what contact we have had with any building."

Mr Bamber said he understood advice of some kind had been given to building owners, but he was unable to confirm what that was.

A Hastings District Council spokesman said "housekeeping issues" were raised with Hawk Packaging as part of routine building inspections after both previous fires.

"These items were raised with the safety officer at an on-site meeting."

Inspections determined the extent of damage, any safety issues stemming from the fire and for the Fire Service to look at likely causes.

"These types of 'housekeeping' items fall outside the Building Act and are, therefore, outside council's legal jurisdiction."

"Items in relation to site operations like this, are the responsibility of the owner and are governed by several pieces of legislation."

The owner and managing director of Hawk Packaging, Tim Combs, said yesterday he never received any communication from the Fire Service or council raising safety or fire hazard issues.

Mr Combs said he had no further comment to make until "all the necessary investigations" were completed.

Mr Bamber said fire crews were still at the scene, and yesterday finished dampening down the smouldering debris of the factory.