A person has been seriously injured after a fire gutted a historic building in Invercargill overnight.
Emergency services rushed to Pall Mall Arcade on Dee St in the city centre just after 1am.
Photos of the blaze show flames pouring out the windows of the three-storey building from the 1860s.
A Hato Hone St John spokesperson told Newshub it responded to the blaze with an ambulance and a rapid response vehicle.
"Our ambulance officers treated and transported one patient, in a serious condition, to Kew Hospital," the spokesperson said.
"A number of other patients were assessed at the scene, but they did not require transportation."
Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) said two crews were initially called to the blaze but that was quickly upgraded to seven.
Crews controlled the fire so it only spread to two buildings.
A FENZ spokesperson said six people required medical attention from St John - mainly for smoke inhalation.
Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency said State Highway 6 is closed to northbound traffic between Victoria Ave and Tay St because of the blaze.
Fire investigators will arrive at the scene later on Wednesday morning, but the FENZ spokesperson said there was nothing to suggest the fire is suspicious.
