More than 60 firefighters tackled the first blaze at Waiuku recycling facility. Photo: Supplied
A 30-year-old local man has been charged with arson after a fire at Waiuku Business Park in Auckland on Monday night.
The blaze, which engulfed nearly 5000 square metres of plastic at a recycling facility area, caused "extensive damage" and was being treated as suspicious, acting Detective Inspector Chris Robson said. A scene examination was carried out on Tuesday.
A search warrant was executed at an address in the Waiuku area last night, where the alleged offender was arrested.
He will appear in Pukekohe District Court on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, shipping containers near the business park were ablaze again in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
Fire and Emergency said the latest fire is believed to be a flare-up of the previous blaze.
Shift manager Ryan Geen said firefighters were called to the same business park about 3.30am today.
"They found two shipping containers [on fire], that were involved in the fire the other night," he said.
The fire was put out by about 5am, he said.
Crews did not call a fire investigator or the police, but the investigation into Monday night's fire was ongoing, he said.
Waiuku Business Park's owner Sam Wulff said the containers were on land that's not part of the business park, and he hasn't been contacted by police about the fire overnight.
A Designmax Homes staff member said the business didn't want to comment.
Wulff earlier told RNZ he leased out part of the industrial lot to the plastics recycling company, Future Post.
He was shocked to learn that the first fire might have been deliberately lit there.
He said the recycling facility converted waste plastic into fence posts.
Residents near a huge fire at a recycling facility in Waiuku on Monday night were asked to stay indoors. Photo: Supplied
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