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Workers at a major New Zealand frozen pizza supplier face an uncertain future after a massive fire destroyed the company’s Christchurch factory.
The teams were called to the factory for Romano’s Food Group, which makes pizza and supermarket brand bases, in the Hillsborough suburb around 1.15 a.m. Tuesday.
At the peak of the fire, 50 firefighters struggled to control it.
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Flames and a large column of black smoke erupt from the factory fire early Tuesday morning.
The Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) issued a public health advisory after plumes of toxic black smoke rose through parts of the city.
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There were no reports of injuries, and a New Zealand Fire and Emergency (Fenz) spokesperson said they were all accounted for.
But the destruction of the factory has left workers unclear about the future of their jobs.
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Fire crews were called to the Christchurch factory in Hillsborough in the early hours of March 30.
Two years ago, about 100 people were employed at the site, Things understands.
The directors of Romano’s Food Group Limited are Bradley Kirkpatrick and Barnaby Sundstrum, according to the New Zealand Business Office.
Kirkpatrick declined to answer questions at his home in Sumner Tuesday night, while Sundstrum could not be reached for comment.
The factory is about 2000 square meters and is located within an industrial area in Hillsborough, southeast of Christchurch.
Truck driver Keith Williams was heading back to a truck depot in Hillsborough when a fire truck sped past him on Port Hills Rd shortly after 1 a.m. M.
Minutes later, he saw gray smoke billowing from the factory roof about 600 meters away on Foundry Dr.
JOSEPH JOHNSON / THINGS
Firefighters assess the damage at Romano’s pizza factory.
Fire soon took hold of him, and within 15 minutes Williams could see flames rising from the building.
“The feeling of concern washed over me because I know it is a 24-hour operation, so I was hoping that all the staff would come out safely.
He said the large plumes of smoke, which billowed out of the burning building for hours, were so dense and widespread that his colleagues as far as Hornby, about 15 kilometers to the west, contacted him to say they could see smoke.
JOSEPH JOHNSON / THINGS / Things
Fire crews worked at the scene for most of Tuesday.
Plastic and polystyrene rose in the fire, and winds from the northeast sent smoke in the direction of the Woolston, Ferrymead and Sumner industrial zone.
Canterbury Health Medical Officer Dr Ramon Pink warned that the toxic smoke plume could affect people with conditions such as asthma or heart disease, and urged people to close doors and windows.
The smoke also prompted a warning from the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ, which urged people with respiratory conditions not to venture outdoors.
“Smoke is a major asthma trigger, as they are effectively tiny particles that enter the throat and lungs,” said Joanna Turner, manager of research and education for the foundation.
JOSEPH JOHNSON / THINGS
The flames ripped through the factory, leaving it heavily damaged.
Business organizations rallied around the beleaguered pizzeria.
Canterbury and New Zealand Business Association President Taz Mukorombindo said he hoped Romano’s had a recovery plan to ensure that those working at the factory were taken care of.
“Hopefully they have the insurance to cover it because these are tough times.”
Leeann Watson, executive director of the Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce, hoped that members of the business community would support Romano as he sought to recover.
Joe Johnson / Stuff
Chamber of Commerce chief Leeann Watson said she hoped companies would support Romano in his attempt to recover from the fire.
“Nobody likes to be in these situations where they have to deal with these kinds of horrible situations and for business owners, operators and people employed, it creates some uncertainty.”
Firefighters had the blaze largely under control by 5 p.m., with only two crews left on site to buffer hot spots and monitor outbreaks.
Canterbury area deputy commander Mike Bowden said the fire was not being treated as a suspect and the cause was still under investigation.
Christchurch metropolitan area commander Dave Stackhouse said the factory’s design had made things difficult for those fighting the fire.
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Plumes of smoke could be seen across much of the city.
“Because it is a sandwich panel construction, it means that the fire burned rapidly inside, forcing us to attack from the outside with aerial aircraft.”
Romano’s Food Group Limited started in 1975 in Christchurch as a manufacturer of fine pastry under the name Maxwell’s Pastry. The group’s first location was a small store on Ferry Rd in Woolston.
In the early 1980s, Maxwell’s Pastry bought Romano’s Pizzas and began producing fresh pizza for the South Island, later expanding to the North Island.
Today the family business has grown into one of New Zealand’s leading manufacturers of pizzas, bases and supermarket brand bases.
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The fire swept through Romano’s Food Group’s pizza factory, leaving workers with an uncertain future.
