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Emergency services put out an electrical fire in central Wellington that had previously seen part of the CBD cordoned off.
A section of Willis St near the intersection of Boulcott and Manners streets had been blocked by crews for much of Sunday afternoon after a transformer in the Jaycee building caught fire.
Fire and Emergencies shift manager Mike Wanoa confirmed that fire crews left the scene at 8 p.m., having put out the fire around 6:30 p.m.
ROBERT KITCHEN / THINGS / Things
Fire is believed to be a short circuit in a switch box. Apparently there was an explosion.
Four fire trucks and a command vehicle had been at the scene in the early afternoon.
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ROBERT KITCHEN / THINGS / Things
Fire and Emergency New Zealand was at the scene of an electrical fire in Wellington CBD
Speaking from the scene, Senior Station Officer Brendon Wood, Thorndon Station, said Stuff A team had entered the building but no one was found inside.
Wood said electricity authorities had to isolate electricity from the transformer before crews could remove the cladding to check if the fire had spread inside the walls.
ROBERT KITCHEN / THINGS / Things
A large crowd of Sunday shoppers stopped to watch firefighters deal with the fire on Willis St in downtown Wellington.
He said a moderate amount of damage to the building could be expected as a result of the fire and removal of the siding.
Wanoa said a fire investigator had been contacted.
