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BRADEN FASTIER / STUFF
Emergency services are responding to a fire in a high rise apartment building on Tory Street in Wellington after residents reported hearing an explosion.
Fire and Emergency NZ is urging people to take care charging lithium-ion batteries after crews were called to an explosion in an inner city apartment building in Wellington that left one person critically injured.
Fire and Emergency NZ (Fenz) were called to the apartment on Tory Street shortly before 6pm and on arrival crews found a fire in an apartment on the first floor.
Incident Controller Mike Dombroski said the fire was caused when an electric scooter being charged inside the apartment exploded.
“Two sprinklers were activated and crews used hoses connected to the apartment water system to extinguish the fire,” Dombroski said.
Wellington Free Ambulance transported one person in a critical condition to Wellington Hospital.
Dombroski said anybody using these batteries for any reason, should take care as they are a fire risk when not “stored, charged, used or disposed of correctly”.
“Only use chargers that are supplied with the device, don’t charge them on or near flammable surfaces, and avoid leaving lithium-ion batteries or devices charging for prolonged periods of time.”
A Fenz spokesperson said crews are still on scene at the apartment building, and asked the public to “please stay away from the area while our crews continue their work”.
Posts on social media suggest the fire occurred at Century City Apartments, although that is yet to be confirmed by authorities.
Police are also in attendance assisting with traffic control.
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