News Story
This afternoon's blaze in Auckland's Central Business District was visible from vantage points all over town - it was atop a high-rise building on Mayoral Drive. Firefighters called in a Third Alarm when, on approach, they saw thick black smoke billowing from the top of the 21-storey building. Surrounding streets were soon closed, clogged with fire appliances and hose-lines. The office block's being converted to a hotel so while workmen came down, evacuating the building, fire crews were climbing the stairs to tackle the blaze. It was confined within a steel container on the roof. Members assisted with traffic and crowd control, centering their effort on the intersection of Queen Street and Mayoral Drive. They also effected evacuation of office staff in adjacent buildings and responded in the mobile canteen.
