A fireball consumes a Queenstown apartment early this morning. Photo / James Allan
A firefighter and three others have been taken to hospital in Queenstown after a large fire engulfed an apartment building in the town centre.
Emergency teams rushed to the blaze on Huff St just after 2am today.
"We had the Queenstown brigade respond," a Fire and Emergency NZ spokesman said.
"When they arrived they called for more resources straight away."
Firefighters then set about finding all the occupants of the building.
"And by 2.22am, all persons had been accounted for and safe," the spokesman said.
St John sent one ambulance that treated three patients, who were taken to Queenstown Lakes Hospital in a moderate condition. At least one was treated for smoke inhalation.
Fire crews also took one firefighter to hospital with a minor injury as a precautionary measure.
About 25 fire fighters were called in to tackle the blaze.
"At the height of the fire, Queenstown, Frankton, Arrowtown, Cromwell and Alexandra were in attendance."
It took the teams about two hours to put the fire out. Crews entered "overhaul" mode at 4.20am.
A fire investigator was at the scene examining the cause of the blaze, and three crews were also still at the scene.
The blaze flared in an area above the Old Wakatipu High School where many properties date back to the 1960s. The flames visible were across Queenstown for well over an hour, photographer James Allan said.
"One patient was assessed at the scene as being in a minor condition."