Fire crews responding to large blaze in Papakura, South Auckland

Fire crew dampen down a fire after an explosion at Metal Solutions in Papakura. Photo / Greg Bowker

Emergency services are responding to a large fire in South Auckland this afternoon.

The blaze has broken out at a car yard on Hunua Rd, in Papakura - the same place where another fire took place in January.

A witness told the Herald that neighbouring businesses have been evacuated and the road blocked off as fire crews respond to the incident.

"We just saw the (fire) trucks go past ... can see smoke from our house," the resident said.

Northern fire communications shift manager Colin Underdown said fire crews were alerted to the blaze about 11.43am. No injuries had been reported.

He said they were told the fire had started in a two-storey building, where a car-crushing machine is housed, at the Global Metal Solutions car yard.

Today's fire at the Global Metal Solutions car yard in Papakura. Photo / Supplied

"It was well-involved when we arrived.

"But it's under control now and we're starting to drop off fire trucks," Underdown said just before 12.30pm.

Today's blaze comes after emergency services were called to the same metal yard in mid-January.

Underdown said they had initially thought today's fire would be just as big, as the blaze in January had quickly turned into a fourth-alarm fire.

That was not the case, however.

Crews from all around the Auckland region were sent out to the scene as a result, as large black plumes of smoke could be seen from afar that day.