At least one school is closed and evacuated residents are taking shelter in a church after fire ripped through homes on Coronation Rd in Māngere Bridge.

Firefighters from across Auckland raced to the large blaze which saw five homes razed in the fire, which was reported just before 3am.

Emergency services also evacuated houses neighbouring the blaze, which was next to the market garden and church opposite Black Bridge Reserve.

At least one Māngere school is closed for the day due to asbestos fears from this morning’s fire.

Nearby Mountain View School has told parents to keep children home from class saying there would be a public health warning sent regarding the blaze.

More than three dozen people living in the homes have now been taken into a nearby Tongan church where they were sheltering after losing their homes.

Earlier several road blocks were in place manned by fire and police, with a stretch of Coronation Rd closed between Walmsley Rd and the Coronation Rd off-ramp to State Highway 20.

The offramp is now open but a section of Coronation Rd remains closed.

At least four structures have been destroyed by the blaze. Photo / Hayden Woodward 

Fire and Emergency northern shift manager Gareth Lewis said multiple calls had come in from 2.58am about a house fire in the suburb.

“On arrival, we found multiple houses well involved in fire,” he said.

Just after 5am the blaze was at a third alarm, with 14 fire trucks in attendance including three ladder trucks and three specialist appliances.

Everyone was accounted for and fire investigators were attending.

St John said one ambulance attended the scene but no patients were treated.

Crews attending include those from Māngere, Onehunga, Mt Roskill, Papatoetoe, Ōtāhuhu, Remuera, Balmoral, Ellerslie, Avondale, Auckland City and Ōtara.

Fourteen fire trucks attended the job from around Auckland, with some crews battling to protect neighbouring houses from the huge fire. Photo / Hayden Woodward 

Houses evacuated, church appears unharmed

A photographer at the scene said the fire was behind and to the west of the church at 148 Coronation Rd, Siasi Tokaikolo ‘ia Kalaisi - ‘Api ko Nasaleti.

However, the church did not appear to be damaged. He could not see if firefighters were protecting the building. When he arrived a fire service ladder truck was blasting water from the air.

Police said in a statement they had set up a cordon around the affected area and evacuated residents of nearby addresses on Mountain Rd and Koru St as a precaution.

Roads have been cordoned off and homes evacuated as firefighters work. Photo / Hayden Woodward 

The Herald’s photographer said many families on Kamaka Rd had also left their homes as they were close to the fire and fire crews were protecting properties on Koru St close to the blaze.

Dozens of neighbours were standing around watching. He could hear three or four small explosions or bangs and thick smoke was drifting over Māngere.

A firefighter at the scene told TVNZ five structures had been destroyed after the fire began in an old building. Due to the age of the buildings there could be an asbestos risk.

Daylight shows twisted metal, buildings destroyed

A fire officer said the buildings may have contained asbestos due to their age. Photo / Jason Dorday

After 7am a Herald photographer said there were still four fire trucks at the scene and a ladder truck was still being used to hose down the smoking ruins of several buildings behind the church.

He said the buildings that had been destroyed were not like typical houses, describing them as more like small chalets.

Twisted corrugated iron is all that remains of most of the buildings.

A few people were still watching on.

Four crews remained at the scene after 7am and a ladder truck was hosing down the smoking ruins. Photo / Jason Dorday

A few people were still watching on after 7am this morning following the huge fire. Photo / Jason Dorday

It’s the second major fire in the city overnight, with 13 fire trucks attending an earlier blaze at a refuse station on Auckland’s North Shore.

The fire at the North Shore Refuse Transfer Station in Rosedale was called in around 8.30pm. Crews attended for several hours, Lewis said, and the fire has now been extinguished.

Fire investigators have also attended the scene.

More to come.