Auckland Penrose Vector substation fire and Manukau Harbour oil spill inspection, Digi Mart USA News (Penrose, Auckland, New Zealand): Black smoke poured from a Vector substation at Penrose, likely caused by coolant oil used to cool the electrical equipment. Fire and Emergency’s Auckland Assistant District Commander Barry Thomas said a huge bang was reported and three Vector workers were injured.
Thomas said the large amount of coolant or mineral oil used in the transformers to keep them cool created the initial fire and a large amount of black smoke. He said there was a significant amount of runoff containing oil that got into the drains, which caused concern.
A team of Auckland Council workers arrived to try to contain the spill. The exact cause of the fire is not known, and Vector and WorkSafe are both investigating.
The Auckland Harbourmaster confirmed it had been deployed to inspect the Manukau Harbour to determine whether any oil spilled as a result of the fire. Plumes of thick black smoke billowed above the Southern Motorway from the blaze, which also damaged the neighboring DHL building.
Three people were injured and taken to hospital: one in serious condition and two in moderate condition. Vector said one of its workers remained in hospital and three others involved had returned to work.
“The welfare of all four remains our priority,” the company said.
The fire is now out. Auckland Council said it sent pollution response officers to the site on Friday morning to check on contamination and ensure the cleanup meets a satisfactory standard.
It also deployed the Harbourmaster from Māngere Bridge to inspect potential discharge points into the harbour and assess and contain any oil that may have entered the water.
Vector said parts of the substation sustained “significant damage” and a temporary transformer would be installed to help reinforce the power supply until a permanent repair is completed. A strong smell of burned material was present at the site Friday morning.
A burned-out van was visible between the substation and the DHL building, which had clearly visible damage to one of its exterior walls. DHL workers were seen taking large fans into their McNab Street warehouse to disperse the smell.
Fire and Emergency has yet to confirm the cause of the fire. Barry Thomas told TVNZ that three Vector workers were carrying out maintenance at the substation “when there was an incident.”
