The occupant of a boat which caught fire in Auckland’s Waitematā Harbour in the early hours of this morning was able to escape in a dinghy, with explosions heard across multiple suburbs.
Emergency services were called just before 1am on Tuesday to the blaze off Hobsonville, where the vessel was moored between the North Shore and West Auckland.
Fire and Emergency NZ crews from Birkenhead, Takapuna, Parnell and Ōtāhuhu responded to the incident.
"It was well involved when we arrived, we sent two land based crews but obviously could not reach it so sent a crew out on a boat with police to fight it," a spokesperson told 1News.
"It is now extinguished and all are accounted for."
Police said the Eagle helicopter and maritime unit were involved in the response.
"The sole occupant of the vessel was able to escape in a small dinghy and was thankfully uninjured," a police spokesperson said.
Residents in nearby areas reported hearing a series of loud bangs, with some describing the sounds as explosions. Flames could be seen billowing from the vessel as the fire took hold.
A nearby resident told 1News they were woken by the noise and saw the fire from their bedroom, describing bright flames and repeated explosions coming from the boat.
"We saw the mast come down," she said.
Investigations were now underway into the cause of the fire.
The morning's headlines in 90 seconds, including an exploding boat wakes Aucklanders, and the Everest climbers stuck in their tent during an avalanche. (Source: Breakfast)
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