Firefighters have reached an impasse in their negotiations and are calling for more staff.
However Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) has remained staunch and says there are enough firefighters around the country to keep communities safe.
Plumes of red smoke lit up the night sky in Penrose, Auckland in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
Within minutes 20 fire trucks carrying more than 100 firefighters raced towards a warehouse fully engulfed in flames.
"It was a good response, we service very well around Onehunga with many fire stations close by," FENZ district manager Brad Mosby said.
Firefighters stopped the blaze from spreading but daylight revealed not only the skeleton of what stood the night before but also fire trucks bearing signs of dissent among the crew.
New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union's Martin Cambell said the lack of staffing has become a real problem.
"Unfortunately we're at a critical point now where that lack of staffing in career firefighters is coming to a head."
Professional Firefighters Union members have begun striking - calling for more staff, better working conditions and better pay.
But they're in a deadlock with FENZ, which denies there's a staffing shortage.
Regional manager Ron Devlin said there are more than enough firefighters.
"There's 600 firefighters, career firefighters in Auckland alone. No I don't believe there's a lack of firefighters, no."
The debate has politicians fired up with MPs grilling the minister in charge.
"Does she have confidence in the current state of our Fire and Emergency?" Green MP Jan Logie asked.
ACT MP David Seymour argued it as well.
"Who actually fight fires only increasing 7 percent and 5 percent respectively."
Labour Party's Jan Tinetti said: "That is an operational matter."
FENZ said the union's pay demands will amount to $300 million over three years - just under half of its total annual budget.
The union maintains the changes are necessary to ensure the safety of communities as well as those keeping it safe.
FENZ said despite the strike it is business as usual.
"If you call 111, we will send a fire appliance and continue the service we've always given you," Devlin said.
Despite this, the firefighters on the ground said it's getting more and more challenging by the day.
