Firefighters are at the scene after a blaze broke out in a vacant building in the Wellington CBD this afternoon, sending smoke billowing through the city.
A Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) spokesperson told 1News multiple units are in attendance.
Fire and Emergency said they were alerted to the fire, located on the third floor of the building, around 2.35pm.
There are no reports of injuries or danger to neighbouring buildings.
Fire services have asked members of the public to avoid the area while work is underway to extinguish the blaze.
Patrons in neighbouring stores were asked to evacuate, with witness Brittany Van de Waardt telling 1News she saw emergency services “smashing the doors down… to get in and get people out.”
“We saw people getting their pets out with the carriers,” she said.
“They blocked off the streets while a lot of people who had been evacuated were watching this unfold.”
Police are speaking to people in the area to determine the cause of the blaze.
The road is closed where Ghuznee St intersects with Cuba St and Taranaki St.
The building on fire appears to be Toomath’s Building, which was built in 1900. The building is part of the Cuba St Heritage Area, in the Wellington CBD.
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