Huge blaze at apartment block in North Shore’s Hillcrest leaves 11 people injured, cause unknown

Four fire crews attended the scene to fight the blaze on the second storey of the apartment.

Eleven people have been injured following an apartment block fire on Auckland’s North Shore this afternoon.

Fire and Emergency NZ (Fenz) responded to “several calls” about a house on fire in Hillcrest shortly after 12pm.

“Upon arrival, crews found a two-storey apartment block well involved in fire,” a spokesperson said.

Four fire crews attended the scene on Coronation Rd to fight the blaze on the second storey of the apartment.

A Hato Hone St John spokesperson said 11 people were injured in the fire.

Two ambulances, one operations manager and one rapid response vehicle responded to the scene.

One person with moderate injuries and four people with minor injuries were transported to North Shore Hospital.

A further six people with minor injuries did not require further ambulance assistance.

Fenz said all residents of the apartment block were accounted for.

“One fire appliance remains at the scene as well as a fire investigator.”

A police spokesperson said they assisted Fenz at the scene.

“The scene is cordoned and police are assisting those involved.”

The apartment fire comes a week after a huge blaze at a Parnell boarding house sent plumes of smoke across the city.

A neighbour of City Garden Lodge on St Georges Bay Rd said she saw three men fighting last Sunday afternoon as fire tore through the property, before one man pulled a knife.

She told the Herald she had issues with residents of the lodge who often cursed and threatened both her and other neighbours for more than three years.

Another neighbour said the fire was “very dramatic” and lit up the sky almost instantly.

Black smoke billowed from the blaze as she hurriedly moved away her cars, which were metres from the fire.

At its peak, 16 fire appliances were needed to fight the blaze, which sent flames 6m high and smoke billowing across the city, leaving residents struggling to breathe outdoors.

On Monday, Deputy Auckland Mayor Desley Simpson said the Parnell building was due to have its building warrant of fitness checked two days after the blaze.

The building had passed checks in August and November.