Firefighters battle huge fire at Lord of the Rings quarry

A fire is burning alongside State Highway 2 in Lower Hutt. Photo / Facebook

A person is in hospital suffering from smoke inhalation after a fire broke out at a quarry used to film a climatic battle scene in the Lord of the Rings.

Fire fighters have contained the fire at Dry Creek Quarry, near the Haywards Hill Rd/State Highway Two interchange, but shortly before 11am it still wasn't extinguished.

Director Peter Jackson used the quarry as the backdrop to the Battle of Helm's Deep in the second Lord of the Rings film, The Two Towers.

An ambulance spokesman said the injured person was taken to Hutt Hospital in a "moderate" condition.

Fire spokeswoman Jan Wills said the person had called emergency services to the scene.

Calls flooded in from 8.25 after smoke drifted over the busy SH2. Traffic there flowed freely but Haywards Hill Rd was blocked or under the control of stop/go signs for a time.

Large #fire underway at bottom of Haywards Hill Lower Hutt, Traffic stopped, 40ft high flames @NZStuff @huttnews pic.twitter.com/Ldnsgzzlhj

— Sky Surv (@SkySurvNZ) March 23, 2016

Ms Wills said the fire took hold in portacoms at the quarry. The Fire Service was contacting power companies to turn off electricity to quarry buildings and a nearby Vodafone cellphone tower, so they can be inspected.

Earlier there were reports of an explosion, but Ms Wills wasn't aware of that.

Ms Wills said it was too soon to say what caused the fire.