Three people were injured, one seriously, during a major fire that broke out at a Vector electrical substation in Penrose, Auckland, on Thursday. The blaze, which sent a thick, black plume of smoke across the city, prompted a large-scale emergency response and temporary power outages for thousands of residents.
Incident at the McNab Street facility
Fire and Emergency NZ received reports of the fire at 3:24 p.m. Crews from Ellerslie, Onehunga, Ōtāhuhu, Remuera, Auckland City, and Mount Wellington responded to the McNab Street site, deploying 12 crews alongside aerial and special appliances. Fire and Emergency assistant district commander Barry Thomas stated that the two-storey structure, measuring 20 meters by 40 meters, was well ablaze upon arrival, endangering nearby warehouses
.
Witnesses near the scene reported hearing cracking sounds followed by extremely loud, explosion-like bangs coming from the burning building.
Witnesses near the scene described the intensity of the fire. One resident, Louise Kyle, reported seeing smoke rising maybe 150-plus feet in the air, black, thick, dense smoke
and noted that she could taste the smoke and found her car covered in ash. Another observer, Kerry Prendeville, who was driving on the Southern Motorway toward the city centre, described the heat as like an intense outdoor bonfire
and noted that after opening his window, the heat felt too intense to get close to the blaze. Mieke Thompson-Pain, who was near Mt Wellington, said the scale of the fire was so large it was very scary
and nearly brought her to tears.
Three workers injured in maintenance incident
St John was notified at 3:29 p.m. and responded with two ambulances and one rapid response unit. Three Vector workers were carrying out maintenance at the facility when there was an incident. One person was taken to Middlemore Hospital in a serious condition, while two others were transported to Auckland City Hospital in a moderate condition.
Emergency crews continued to monitor the site for hot spots overnight, rotating through the evening to manage the aftermath.
Power restored to thousands after fire
The fire cut power to about 7,000 customers. Police noted that power outages affected parts of Penrose, leaving some intersections without power. By the evening, power had been restored for all but one customer. A spokesperson for Vector confirmed that an investigation into the cause of the incident will be undertaken, stating, We remain focused on the welfare and wellbeing of the crew
.
Due to the emergency response, public transport disruptions were implemented in the area, with buses bypassing stops on Maurice Rd, Olive Rd, Penrose Station/Station Rd, 29 Station Rd, Penrose Station/Great South Rd and Prescott St.