Fire at Saint Kentigern College in Auckland’s Pakūranga

Fire crews on site after a blaze broke out at Auckland's Saint Kentigern College. Photo / Dean Purcell

An Auckland school says a spark from tools in its technology block sparked an evacuation this afternoon, with “significant smoke” affecting some classrooms.

Saint Kentigern College in Pakūranga evacuated all students earlier today after a fire broke out in the Jack Paine Centre.

Parents had been notified of the incident, which was reported to authorities at 1.33pm via an alarm system.

In an update sent to parents this afternoon, principal Damon Emtage confirmed the fire started in the part of the college housing art rooms, food tech, hard materials, soft materials and design classrooms.

“Due to a spark from tools landing amongst shavings in the Jack Paine Centre we evacuated the college buildings. There was significant smoke through part of the JPC due to vents and a contained fire.

“The campus was very promptly attended by fire services, who sent out a fleet of trucks and a hazmat truck to be safe.”

Emtage said students were safe at all times and once the all-clear was given to re-enter the buildings, NCEA exams went ahead as planned.

He said Jack Paine Centre classrooms will be in use tomorrow, except for two workshops where ventilation is affected.

Emtage said he was pleased with how students responded safely, understanding the “controlled urgency” that was required.

However, he asked parents to speak to their children about filming such events.

“We encourage you to discuss with your children why we would like them to refrain from posting to social media any filming they do on their phones during an emergency, given it is usually misleading, without facts and likely unnecessarily upsetting to families.”

Video posted to social media at the time of the evacuation showed students filming the incident on their phones as they made their way across the grounds.

Students were evacuated after a fire broke out at Pakūranga's Saint Kentigern College on Wednesday afternoon.

A parent told the Herald they had seen video footage showing smoke billowing from a building on the school grounds. They said their child was among the students evacuated to the field.

Five crews from Mt Wellington, Howick, Ōtara, Papatoetoe and Remuera were called to the blaze, which Fire and Emergency New Zealand said was contained to a classroom.

On arrival, crews noted there was a “large plume of smoke”, Fire and Emergency told the Herald.

The college, a co-educational private school, has a roll of about 2300 students.

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