Vehicles, workshop destroyed by oil fire
A Balclutha business owner has described the moment he realised the fire in his workshop was out of control.
AG & Auto Direct owner Paul Goatley was at work yesterday morning when a waste oil burner caught fire in his South Otago workshop.
Goatley and his seven staff members attempted to extinguish the fire. But once burning oil had spilt onto the floor, it was time to evacuate, he said.
‘‘It just started going up the walls and getting towards the other storage of oils. It was very quick and quite frightening.’’
Goatley said his focus was getting his staff out safely. No customers were on site at the time.
‘‘We’re all fairly traumatised by it because it’s all of our livelihoods, all of our tools, all of our equipment, customers’ vehicles.’’
Nine customer vehicles and four new vehicles were destroyed in the blaze.
‘‘Some of them [customers] still don’t know their vehicles are no more,’’ Goatley said yesterday.
Six fire crews were called to what they described as a ‘‘wellinvolved’’ blaze in a large commercial shed on Barr St, between Clyde St and James St, at about 9.50am yesterday morning.
The fire threatened buildings nearby that are thought to hold petrol, a Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokesman said.
Balclutha volunteer fire brigade chief fire officer Jason Lyall said the hedge to the adjoining property had caught fire but firefighters managed to save the garage and the caravan.
The fire had to be attacked from the exterior as the interior was very involved by time crews got there. It was too dangerous to enter, and there were a lot of highly flammable materials in the building, Lyall said.
An onlooker told The Southland Times that thick, black smoke had at first bellowed from the flames before turning white.
Goatley, who owns the company with his wife, Sharon, said they were insured.
He was quick to thank the fire brigade and the Balclutha community. ‘‘I think it is a small town thing. We know the fire brigade personally so it’s pretty overwhelming, really – the support that people are offering.’’