Synthetic Turf Rolls Suspected to Have Caused Fire at Turnbull Thompson Park

Firefighters in Invercargill, have been battling a blaze at Turnbull Thompson Park since Friday morning.

The fire was first reported around 11am and is believed to have started in rolls of synthetic turf located beside the Invercargill Hockey Association building.

Black smoke could be seen billowing from the fire, which took sometime to be extinguished. Two fire appliances from Invercargill initially attended the scene, but a second alarm was triggered when it became clear that neighbouring structures were threatened.

Two additional crews from Invercargill and Kingswell were sent to help protect the building structure affected by the fire. Fire and Emergency New Zealand shift manager, Simon Lyford, said the blaze covered a 4m by 5m area and was being extinguished with hoses and foam. There were no reports of people in the area at the time of the fire.

Witnesses at the scene reported that the fire was in a pile of rubber or old hockey turf that was stored in the area. Some roads around the area have been blocked to facilitate the work of the firefighters.