Fire in acute mental health unit

One person was reported as missing when firefighters were called to a fire at the Tauranga Hospital secure mental unit Te Whare Maiangiangi in 20th Avenue last night.


Firefighters were called to a burning chair last night. Picture: Supplied.

'We took a hose reel in as a precaution but the fire had been extinguished by the sprinkler system,” says senior station officer Phil Price today.

Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus found the missing person.

'It was a small fire but it produced a large amount of smoke. The occupant was quickly located in the room where the fire had been extinguished by the sprinkler,” says Phil.

'He wasn't immediately apparent to staff who couldn't find him. The smoke was very thick.”

The man was assisted outside the building by fire fighters.

'I don't think he was seriously hurt,” says Phil.

'We spent quite a lot of time cleaning up the water and ventilating the building afterwards. It was not a big fire but it was quite disruptive for the unit.”

The alarm was raised about 10.45pm. Fire fighters from Tauranga and Greerton attended, as well as a Greerton salvage unit.

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