Massive SkyCity blaze proves hard to contain

Fire crews were to battle through the night to contain a massive fire that has engulfed the SkyCity Convention Centre in Auckland, Fire and Emergency NZ said.

The fire service said there was no way to put out the blaze from the roof of the seven-storey building as it could not withstand the weight of the firefighters needed to tackle it.

More than 100 firefighters have been struggling to contain the blaze and gale-force winds were forecast to cause more problems later.

One firefighter was taken to hospital after suffering a medical event, and three other people were treated at the scene as a result of the blaze, which broke out at about 1pm yesterday.

The whole SkyCity complex was evacuated as black smoke could be seen climbing into the Auckland skyline and people were told to stay out of the CBD.

Workers claimed the fire started when an unattended blowtorch ignited flammable material on the roof.

Area commander Geoff Purcell, of Fire and Emergency NZ, said fire crews were trying to ‘‘contain the blaze’’.

He said the fire was on the roof, which was made up of two layers of straw-like material sandwiched between the waterproof roof and plywood ceiling.

Fire crews were fighting the blaze from an aerial unit, known as a ‘‘snorkel’’, which resembled a cherry picker, he said.

They were trying to protect a crane on top of the building, which threatened to topple and fall across the road if it got too hot.

Firefighters were also inside the building on level 5 last night, attacking the blaze with hoses, 9 metres below.

Purcell described the fire as ‘‘unprecedented’’. There hadn’t been many like it in his 36-year career as a firefighter, he said.

Auckland Mayor Phil Goff described the fire as ‘‘pretty frightening’’, with flames rising from gas cylinders.

Goff admitted he was concerned for the wider implications the fire would have on the city looking into the future. ‘‘The concern is that the convention centre will be a major asset for Auckland and this will inevitably push back the opening.’’

A fire warden outside SkyCity was advising members of the public the lingering smoke was ‘‘toxic’’.

Smoke filled central Auckland yesterday after the SkyCity Convention Centre caught fire. Firefighters attacked the blaze from every possible angle, while pedestrians tried not to inhale the smoke.