Auckland mental health hospital patients evacuated after fire discovered

NZ fire truck
The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Photo credit: Getty Images.

All 15 patients and six staff at a men's mental-health hospital in Auckland were able to evacuate safely when a fire broke out last night.

The Counties Manukau District Health Board said in a statement that no one at the Tamaki Oranga Recovery Centre in Ōtara was injured.

It said the fire, believed to have started in the north wing, was discovered by staff at 9:30pm, when a fire alarm and sprinklers went off.

The board said the north wing has water damage but Fire and Emergency has cleared the larger east wing for occupation, so all staff and patients are now back inside.

The fire was extinguished at 10:25pm and firefighters left at about midnight.

The cause of the fire is being investigated.

RNZ.