Firefighters put out blaze at restaurant on Wellington's Cuba St

Sunday, 10 November 2019

Fire at El Matador on Cuba St in Wellington.

Firefighters are investigating the cause of a blaze at a restaurant in central Wellington.

A Fire and Emergency spokesman said a fire in the roof of the building near the corner of Vivian and Cuba streets was 'well involved on arrival' on Sunday afternoon.

Firefighters had the situation under control by just after 5pm.

Fire and Emergency spokesman Murray Dunbar said a special investigator was being brought to the scene to establish the source of the blaze in El Matador restaurant, next to Logan Brown.

Firefighters outside El Matador on Wellington's Cuba St.

* Fire in shed behind El Matador restaurant in central Wellington**

Firefighters outside El Matador restaurant on Cuba St.

Initial police reports said the incident was a result of a kitchen fire.

Seven pump trucks and three aerial fire trucks with elevated fire fighting capabilities were used to fight the blaze.

Fire trucks on Cuba St in central Wellington.

Several fire vehicles were standing down through they were intending to have a standby presence at the site in the meantime, Dunbar said.

Logan Brown restaurant owner Shaun Coulston said there was no damage to the building housing his restaurant.

He said though they were affected by the disruption, firefighters have given their building the all clear and they are hoping to have it open for dining later on Sunday evening.

Emergency services have elevated the incident to a level three alarm from the initial report that came in at 4.10pm.

Firefighters called a blaze at El Matador restaurant on Cuba St in central Wellington.

A firefighter outside El Matador restaurant on Cuba St.

Ten fire trucks were called to the scene of the fire.

Amber Smith, a shop assistant at Cr8iveworx at 219 Cuba St said a 'ton is smoke filled up the street quite quickly'.

She closed the doors because of the smell and to protect the clothes in the shop.

People gathered to watch the firefighters and some of those people had come into the shop to get away from the smell of smoke.

Police redirected traffic from the area, which includes the Vivian St section of State Highway 1.