About Origin Fire

Fire engineering that enables your vision

The Origin Fire team is led by chartered professional engineer Michael James who has been specialising in fire engineering since 1996. Michael was one of the founding engineers in Pacific Consultants which was established in Auckland in 1997. Origin Fire Consultants was created as part of a re-structure and re-brand of the fire engineering Auckland team of Pacific Consultants in 2014. 

Today, Auckland-based Origin Fire is a leading fire engineering consultancy with specialists in fire engineering and passive fire, fire safety and protection, and emergency lighting. We offer strategic fire consulting and services which include computer modelling, fire engineering design and fire protection, construction monitoring, system specification, compliance checking, safety assessment and peer review services.

While we’re based in New Zealand, we frequently work in Australia, Asia and the South Pacific.

Our role is to work with architects, engineers, designers, building owners and developers, local authorities and fire services to engineer fire safe solutions. Our work is grounded in fire science. Using sophisticated modelling software, our engineers use innovative fire consulting approaches to assist challenging construction projects and help realise complex architectural concepts.

How We Work

We are guided by the ‘first principles’ for fire engineering – this is the application of engineering principles, rules and expert judgement based on a scientific understanding of fire phenomena, the effects of fire and the reaction and behaviour of people in order to save life and protect property.

We specialise in building designs using first principles (Verification Method VM2) and as opposed to ‘off the shelf’ prescriptive approaches (Acceptable Solutions), knowing that the process of creative collaboration will lead to the best solutions. Often prescriptive approaches mean fitting people into buildings. We believe the best solutions are usually arrived at when buildings best fit people’s needs and expectations.

Applying first principles means we are able to achieve fire protection outcomes that contribute to achieving the overall vision of every project.

Our Approach>>

Our People

The Origin Fire team is led by Michael James, a chartered professional engineer who has been specialising in fire engineering since 1996. Michael is currently President of the New Zealand chapter of the Society for Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE).

Michael has built an experienced and talented team. His recognition that fire engineering impacts on all building design disciplines (architecture, structural, mechanical and electrical engineering) underpins a collaborative team ethos to produce the best design outcomes. The Origin Fire team work throughout New Zealand,  in Australia and Asia, applying country-specific codes and planning standards for fire safety.

Meet the Team>>

Careers with Origin Fire

Excellent fire engineers are hard to find. We are always interested in talking to people who are putting their fire engineering qualifications to good use.

Contact Us>>