Black smoke was seen rising from the fire at old Fitzherbert Tavern and across the Palmerston North sky.
Black smoke was seen rising from the fire at old Fitzherbert Tavern and across the Palmerston North sky.
Fire crews are at the scene of a large blaze at a former tavern in Palmerston North.
A Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokesperson said in a statement that emergency services were responding to the fire at the old Fitzherbert Tavern on Ferguson St, which began about 5.15pm.
There areeight fire trucks, a command unit and a support unit on the scene.
“The fire is producing a large amount of smoke so please avoid the area,” the spokesperson said.
An emergency alert has been issued for city residents asking them to stay inside and close all windows and doors, and consider turning off air conditioning and heat pumps.
Photos and videos from the scene show a large plume of black smoke spewing from the abandoned pub.
The pub, once popular with students, closed down in 2008.
