A fire is still burning at Smart Environmental waste and recycling company near Thames with more than a dozen fire appliances being used to tackle it.
Fourteen appliances were called to the scene at around 2.30pm, a Fire and Emergency NZ spokesperson told 1 NEWS.
The fire is burning in bales of plastic bottles and covers an area of 200 metres by 100 metres, the spokesperson said this evening.
The fire is not yet contained and all crews remain at the scene.
Fire and Emergency NZ received a number of calls from members of the public when the fire broke out.
Initially, people were reported missing but everyone was accounted for with no injuries.
Police said they were in attendance at the building fire, having been called by Fire and Emergency NZ to assist.
Pictures show a large plume of black smoke rising from the area surrounded by bush, and forested hill country.
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