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Emergency crews were alerted to the fire on Huff St just after 2 a.m. today.
“We got the Queenstown brigade to respond,” said a New Zealand Fire and Emergency spokesman.
“When they arrived, they asked for more resources immediately.”
Then firefighters set out to find all the occupants of the badly damaged building.
“And by 2:22 am, everyone was safe and they were safe,” the spokesman said.
Saint John told the Otago Daily Times that seven people were treated, four at the scene and another three were transferred to Lakes District Hospital.
All were in moderate condition, with at least one treated for smoke inhalation, and were discharged this afternoon.
A firefighter was later taken to the hospital by the brigade, as a precaution.
About 25 firefighters were called in to deal with the blaze and were there for nearly six and a half hours, a Femz spokesman said.
“At the height of the fire, Queenstown, Frankton, Arrowtown, Cromwell and Alexandra were present.”
A fire investigator was now on the scene examining the cause of the fire. However, it was not thought to be suspicious.
The fire started in an area above the Old Wakatipu High Shcool, where many properties date to the 1960s, and flames were visible in Queenstown for more than an hour, a photographer at the scene said.
– Reporting by John Lewis, NZ Herald
