Funeral home owner slams rubberneckers at Christchurch blaze

The owner of a business near a blaze that tore through a Christchurch warehouse has criticised rubberneckers for putting themselves and emergency services at risk.

The fire broke out at the corner of Brisbane and Coleridge Streets in Sydenham at 11.30am on Wednesday, sending thick, black smoke billowing over the city. Seven fire crews took several hours to control and contain the fire.

Cheryl Cowden, who owns a nearby funeral home, said it was a horrendous scene.

"It was just gut-wrenching to know that somebody's business was going up in smoke," she said.

Cowden said she was frustrated so many people came for a look, including parking their cars in the middle of the street.

"It's a shame people do that. It's human nature, but they don't realise what jeopardy they're putting themselves in, plus they're putting the fire and ambulance and police all at risk," she said.

Cowden made arrangements with police to ensure mourners due to arrive for a funeral were able to access the premises. Cowden said the "lovely family" took it in their stride.

"They just said she went out with a bang," she said.

It was impressive that firefighters were able to contain the fire so quickly and a big relief that it did not affect a nearby gas tank supplier, Cowden said.

"It's lucky the gas place across the road didn't get overheated or whatever, because it could have easily been horrendous," she said.

"It was horrendous as it was, but it also could have been a lot worse - and no one being hurt really, that was the biggest gift that could happen."

Cowden's daughter, funeral director Lauren Cowden, said she heard a bang and thought it was a back-firing car.

When she saw smoke immediately afterwards, she initially feared it might have caught fire, but when she went outside it was clear it was the building, less than 200 metres from the funeral home. Lauren Cowden said the building was completely alight in less than 15 minutes.

Sean McGrath, director of Slade Engineering, which is directly across the road from the fire, said one of his staff members was among the first to notice the fire.

"I was having a meeting in my office and one of the young guys came in and said, sorry to interrupt, but I think there's a building on fire across the road, so it was all out to move our vehicles out of the way, clear the space and then all we could do is watch."

"It was a lot of smoke. It started with smoke billowing out vents and things like that, then coming out the roof and then we got flames protruding out through the roof."

McGrath said the wind was luckily blowing away from his business, carrying the flames and intense smoke in the other direction.

"If the wind had been westerly, we would have been in trouble, but I'd imagine some of the other businesses around here got a bit of damage," he said.

Fire and Emergency said fire crews remained at the scene overnight, tackling a flare-up in the early hours of Thursday but had left by Thursday afternoon. Two fire investigators were at the site and investigations were continuing into the cause of the fire.