Mechanical fault to blame for Westfield blaze

A fire that broke out at a Westfield mall in West Auckland and sparked a mass evacuation and mahem on the roads has been extinguished.

The car fire in the underground car park of Westfield WestCity in Henderson was caused by a mechanical fault, said a spokeswoman for the mall.

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There were reports an explosion was heard at the mall at 11.30am and the Fire Service tweeted that the incident was causing "heavy smoke logging".

A fire has broken out at Westfield WestCity. Photo / via Facebook

About 60 firefighters tackled the blaze, with about a dozen firetrucks on the scene.

The fire has been extinguished and ventilation and searches of the underground and upper level of the carpark is taking place, the tweet said.

The mall had now reopened.

Fire at WestCity. Photo / HOS

NZTA said the fire had caused "mayhem" for motorists and urged them to find alternative routes.

Westfield Auckland said today: "There is no evidence that this was more than a mechanical fault.

"The centre was evacuated as a result of the smoke, and will resume trade as soon as we receive NZ [Fire] Service clearance."

A St John spokeswoman said the service was on standby, but there was no reports of injuries.

Photos posted to social media showed crowds standing just metres away from orange flames and thick smoke as fire crews surrounded the area.