Fire and Emergency fears the roof of Auckland's Sky City Convention centre might collapse, as the blaze continues to rage.
Zeus (fire, power tools, fuels) square Pluto (destruction, struggle ("a very, very difficult fire to extinguish")) semi-sextile Rhiphonos (security protection, exercise (1st responders)).
Smoke fills the air around Auckland CBD near the SkyCity convention centre, where a fire broke out.
Flames engulfed the top of the building just after 1pm this afternoon - starting on the seventh floor before spreading to the sixth.
Fire and Emergency's Thomas Harre said the fire started in the roof cavity and it's been difficult for firefighter's to get inside the building and to the top.
St John says one person has been admitted to Auckland City Hospital in a serious condition.
SkyCity has evacuated its entire Auckland precinct, because of smoke from the fire, with people forced to leave the Sky Tower, casino, all SkyCity hotels and restaurants and corporate offices.
The company said police were onsite to help with evacuations.
Fire and Emergency said the fire started on the seventh floor - the roof - of the under-construction SkyCity convention centre, before spreading to the sixth.
Bitumen and insulation is on fire and there are also concerns about gas cylinders in the area.
The cause of the fire is unknown.
The Fire Service has sounded the sixth alarm, which means all available resources from Auckland have been called in, with further resources from Hamilton on the way.
Fire and Emergency spokesperson Dave Woon said it was "a very, very difficult fire to extinguish".
Police and ambulance staff are on the scene to assist fire crews and hundreds of people, including construction workers, have been evacuated.
One man said he was on his lunch break when he thought he heard a fire drill sound out.
"I'm just eating my lunch...you hear that fire alarm, often before the alarm gets triggered you hear about it before hand and we just left and come here. I just want to finish my lunch."
In a statement, Fletcher Building - the company constructing the convention centre - said its people and contractors were its number one priority at the moment.
Fire and emergency say 23 appliances from across greater Auckland have responding, including one aerial unit from Hamilton.
They are also advising people to stay out of the CBD area.
Fire and emergency spokesperson Jessica Chaplin said they received multiple calls about flames at the site just after 1pm.
People have taken to social media to report on the fire.
Economic Development Minister Phil Twyford said it's a major project with economic benefits for Auckland, so it's a disappointment.
"I'm really happy to hear all the workers have been safely evacuated and it's too early to say with any certainty what this means in terms of construction, but I have no doubt this will be a significant set-back," he said.
MrTwyford said it was unlikely to have any financial implications for the government.
SkyCity's $700 million International Convention Centre and hotel project which has been plagued by problems, including cost over-runs and construction delays.
The complex is being built by Fletcher Construction and SkyCity.
This afternoon, Fletcher Building's share price has dropped nearly 1 percent, while SkyCity's share price is down 2-and-a-quarter percent.
The casino operator has been hoping the convention centre and hotel complex would be completed by the end of next year in time for the America's Cup in 2021.
The project is set to cost several hundred million more than budget and is running two years late.
It was originally budgeted to cost between $400 million and $500 million, but is now expected to cost more than $800m.
Earlier this year, the company pushed the completion date out to the second half of 2020 - a delay of six months, forcing a review of bookings.
The complex is being built by Fletcher Construction and SkyCity has already triggered penalty clauses in its contract which require Fletchers to pay damages.
It was expected the convention centre would be ready well in time for 2021, when Auckland hosts APEC and the America's Cup.
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Source: rnz.co.nz
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