{"id":441803,"date":"2026-05-23T16:11:32","date_gmt":"2026-05-23T16:11:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/441803\/"},"modified":"2026-05-23T16:11:32","modified_gmt":"2026-05-23T16:11:32","slug":"workers-scramble-from-fire-in-19th-floor-of-auckland-cbd-hotel-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/441803\/","title":{"rendered":"Workers scramble from fire in 19th floor of Auckland CBD hotel"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>A fire broke out at a hotel under construction, with up to 40 people inside having to evacuate, in the Auckland CBD this afternoon.<\/p>\n<p>The fire was in a 19th floor room of the 22-storey DoubleTree by Hilton on Albert St around 2.20pm, Assistant District Commander for Auckland City Dave Woon told reporters at the scene.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tvnz.co.nz\/player\/newsclip\/hotel-fire-in-central-auckland-sends-smoke-billowing-from-high-rise\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Hotel fire in central Auckland sends smoke billowing from high-rise &#8211; Watch on TVNZ+<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"text-greyDarkFaded\">The fire at the under-construction DoubleTree by Hilton on Albert St sent workers scrambling to evacuate.  (Source: 1News)<\/p>\n<p>Two windows on the floor were broken, Woon said, which was &#8220;helpful in letting us get water in&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>He said the building was under construction and this provided challenges to fire crews.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Being a building under construction, it will have a whole bunch of different hazards \u2013 different to what an occupied building would have.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1779552690_587_flames-from-the-19th-floor-of-the-doubletree-by-hilton-on-al-K3VXB4MOONHCXENIFI7HVASBN4.jpg\" alt=\"Flames from the 19th floor of the DoubleTree by Hilton on Albert St.\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"ImageMetadata__MetadataParagraph-sc-hi5x8q-0 cWTYyG image-metadata\">Flames from the 19th floor of the DoubleTree by Hilton on Albert St. (Source: Supplied)<\/p>\n<p>Fire crews reported one person in a crane required treatment. <\/p>\n<p>Multiple people were inside at the time of the blaze, he said.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;All persons were accounted for.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>In an update, Fire and Emergency said the blaze had been extinguished. &#8220;Crews will remain at the scene for the rest of the afternoon.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1779552690_320_a-hose-attacks-a-blaze-at-a-hotel-in-the-auckland-cbd-TWBISE5UEJGORE2LGT2ROIPQRQ.jpg\" alt=\"A hose attacks a blaze at a hotel in the Auckland CBD.\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"ImageMetadata__MetadataParagraph-sc-hi5x8q-0 cWTYyG image-metadata\">A hose attacks a blaze at a hotel in the Auckland CBD. (Source: 1News)<\/p>\n<p>Members of the public were asked to continue to stay clear of the scene for another hour.<\/p>\n<p>Hato Hone St John was alerted to the incident around 2.26pm and responded with an ambulance and two operations managers, a spokesperson said.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Our ambulance staff assessed two patients at the scene in minor conditions. No transport to hospital was required.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Dozens of firefighters were at the scene tackling the blaze as onlookers gathered to watch, according to a 1News reporter at the scene.<\/p>\n<p>Officers were at the scene for traffic management, a police spokesperson said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-greyDarkFaded\">The fire broke out at the DoubleTree by Hilton on Albert St. (Source: 1News)<\/p>\n<p>Strong, acrid smoke could be smelled across the central city.<\/p>\n<p>Workers &#8216;screaming coming down&#8217; \u2013 construction worker <\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1779552691_281_a-construction-worker-was-in-the-building-when-the-fire-brok-5HVOWIIIGJCRNN2LFFWCELF3XY.jpg\" alt=\"A construction worker was in the building when the fire broke out.\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"ImageMetadata__MetadataParagraph-sc-hi5x8q-0 cWTYyG image-metadata\">A construction worker was in the building when the fire broke out. (Source: 1News)<\/p>\n<p>Construction worker Kim Kun says he was on the 7th floor of the hotel when the blaze broke out. <\/p>\n<p>Kun said they were alerted to the fire after hearing people &#8220;screaming coming down \u2018fire, fire!'&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>The worker estimated around 30-40 people were in the building at the time. <\/p>\n<p>He said he was feeling &#8220;all good&#8221; after today&#8217;s &#8220;shocking&#8221; events. <\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I think I gotta go back and have a look and close the door \u2013 like a normal day.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;Pretty crazy&#8217; \u2013 witness<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1779552692_105_a-witness-at-the-scene-of-the-auckland-cbd-blaze-IQG3QIIPHRC6VPMZUFRAPPXXV4.jpg\" alt=\"A witness at the scene of the Auckland CBD blaze.\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"ImageMetadata__MetadataParagraph-sc-hi5x8q-0 cWTYyG image-metadata\">A witness at the scene of the Auckland CBD blaze. (Source: 1News)<\/p>\n<p>A witness told 1News he was on 13th floor of his brother\u2019s apartment nearby when they looked out the window and saw &#8220;this smoke and fire coming out with a bent window&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It was quite concerning with how close the building was so our thought was like, &#8216;We&#8217;ll be evacuated so just get out&#8217;.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The brothers went across the street and &#8220;watched it all unfold&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It was quite hectic. Fire trucks turning up from every different direction and just a whole bunch of people out on the street, phones out recording the stuff,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It was actually pretty crazy seeing the fire advance through the building.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>A video posted to social media by MP Tim Costley explained the crucial work of firefighters. &#8220;This is why we&#8217;ve got to support them because this is what they do, seven days a week,&#8221; the MP for \u014ctaki said. <\/p>\n<p>As he was speaking, flames could be seen licking from the window frame of an upper floor room inf the building. <\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1779552692_590_firefighters-and-police-at-the-scene-of-a-fire-at-a-hotel-in-YNEOMR4EEVBDVMTMC3PFSEE44M.jpg\" alt=\"Firefighters and police at the scene of a fire at a hotel in the Auckland CBD.\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"ImageMetadata__MetadataParagraph-sc-hi5x8q-0 cWTYyG image-metadata\">Firefighters and police at the scene of a fire at a hotel in the Auckland CBD. (Source: 1News)<\/p>\n<p>An investigation was underway into how the blaze began.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A fire broke out at a hotel under construction, with up to 40 people inside having to evacuate,&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":439432,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[51,42,43,40,38,41,39],"class_list":["post-441803","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-headlines","tag-auckland","tag-headlines","tag-news","tag-top-news","tag-top-stories","tag-topnews","tag-topstories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/441803","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=441803"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/441803\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/439432"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=441803"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=441803"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=441803"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}