Boarding House Fire in Auckland City

16 residents of a boarding house at 516 New North Road in Kingsland were forced to leave their rooms when fire broke out at about 11.15pm last night.
Police and fire personnel are still at the scene which is being treated as suspicious until the cause can be established.
Residents, all men, were left with only the clothes they were wearing and it is too early to tell what of the rooms' contents have been lost to the fire.
Police Northern Communications Centre staff spent some time assisting the owner of the boarding house in locating alternative overnight accommodation at back packer hostels around the city and police units supplied transport.