Burning deer products cause fire

Firefighters had to pull part of a roof off a building to put out a fire inside a commercial oven at a processing plant in rural Pyes Pa.

Tauranga and Greerton fire crews rushed to the venison processing plant about 5pm yesterday after reports of smoke coming from the roof.

At the scene, Tauranga senior station officer Kevin Cowper said parts of the roof had to be removed so firefighters could get access into the building.

"We've had a small smouldering fire in a dryer. We don't know what caused it yet. We're investigating.''

He said it may have been a malfunction with the thermostat.

Senior firefighter Hamish Grylls said deer products were being dried in an oven, which had overheated.

He said the products had begun to smoulder, which sent "a lot of smoke'' into the roof cavity.

The fire was contained inside the oven.

Three to four trays of the smouldering venison product were removed from the building before it was ventilated with a fan.

Mr Cowper said there didn't appear to be any structural damage to the building.