Fire near downtown café sends hundreds into street

A man burned his arm as he tried to put out a fire that resulted in hundreds of Auckland office workers being evacuated and a busy central city block cordoned off yesterday.

Firefighters received about 20 calls to the blaze, reporting flames leaping up the outside of the Rifleman building on Albert St, shortly before 3pm.

The building is attached to the Crowne Plaza and the Atrium on Elliott mall.

All staff in the buildings were evacuated for almost an hour.

More than 30 firefighters tended to the blaze.

Tania Gray, who was working in an office next door, said the first she knew of the blaze was when she saw a nearby pot plant on fire.

"We could smell it and then the alarm went off.

"We all came out and there was smoke everywhere. There were flames coming up [the wall]."

The burned man, who asked not to be named, said he tried to throw a bucket of water on the fire as flames rose outside his business, Sierra Cafe.

But the flames leapt towards him and moved too quickly, leaving a burn on his elbow.

He said he did not want medical treatment for the injury.

Firefighters were working to find out how the fire began, near a rubbish bag and the man's scooter, which was destroyed by the fire.

Auckland City fire area Assistant Commander Kerry Gregory said it appeared the fire had started on the external wall by the scooter and travelled inside.

The building's sprinkler system had activated, preventing greater damage, he said.