Large fire breaks out in Auckland block of shops, roads closed

Several roads are closed after a large fire broke out in a block of shops in the Auckland suburb of Takanini this evening.

Emergency services were called to the scene on Great South Rd around 8.10pm, a Fire and Emergency spokesperson told 1News.

The "well-involved" fire began in a two-storey building located in the middle of a row of shops.

Two-thirds of the building was damaged in the fire, the spokesperson said.

Five fire trucks and one ladder truck remain at the scene.

The fire has forced the closure of Great South Rd, between Spartan Rd and Manuroa Rd, and the southbound motorway off-ramp at Takanini is closed, police said.

Motorists are asked to avoid the area and take an alternate route.

The fire has been contained, the Fire and Emergency spokesperson said.

Fire investigators are now investigating the circumstances behind the fire.