A major fire broke out at a large motor vehicle wrecking yard in East Tamaki just after 6am this morning Sunday.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) has told the Times 12 fire trucks and specialist appliances from 11 fire stations from across Auckland were called to the scene.

FENZ says initially two fire trucks and two aerial-accessing “ladder trucks” were dispatched to extinguish the fire, and then further appliances were called up.

The wrecking yard is situated on East Tamaki Road near the East Tamaki Domain, and a section of the usually busy arterial route between Preston Road, Otara, and Johnstones Road, East Tamaki, was closed to traffic for “a few hours”.

FENZ says the fire was extinguished and contained by 7.30am and the last fire truck departed the scene at 10am.

Fire trucks and appliances attending the blaze were from the fire stations at Otara, Papatoetoe, Howick, Otahuhu, Parnell, Auckland City, Ellerslie, Manurewa, Mt Wellington, Mangere and Avondale.