Large fire at scrap metal yard in Palmerston North

Firefighters are continuing to tackle a significant blaze at a scrap metal recycling plant in Palmerston North.

Crews were called to Molten Metals in Kelvin Grove Rd just before 4am.

Nearby Four Square worker Vrutil Soni says the road is closed for health and safety reasons.

Local Chris Lamb said he started hearing loud pops, which sounded like shotguns going off in the distance, at 5am and went outside to see a large cloud of smoke and an inferno of tyres and cars.

Lamb said many people lived on the street.

Emergency services were called to the scene at 4am. Photo / Supplied by Chris Lamb

A central fire communications spokesman said seven fire engines were at the yard, where a large pile of old cars and scrap metal was on fire.

He said there was no immediate danger to nearby businesses.

Tremaine Ave was closed between Shelley and Kaimanawa streets with police diversions in place.

Fire spokesperson Mitchell Brown says the fire was well contained, thanks largely to the segregated areas within the yard.

He said it would take some time to extinguish all the hot spots as cars were in stacks and needing to be pulled apart for water to reach the hot metal.

Fire services expected to remain at the site until at least lunchtime, possibly well into the afternoon so people returning from work might still experience diversions and slower than normal traffic movement.

Brown said otherwise there was no danger to the public. There were no reports of any one injured from the site.

Fire investigators would be called to acertain the cause.