Flames leap from a huge cool store at Tamahere, outside Hamilton, in 2008. The fire started when propane gas, used as a refrigerant, was ignited by electricity and exploded. Eight firefighters who were investigating a smoke alarm were caught in the blast. Six were seriously injured and one, Derek Lovell, died. The incidence of chemical fires such as this one has increased since the 1970s, as industry has diversified.
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Photograph by Philippa Stevenson
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