A firefighter has been injured battling a fierce blaze that razed Wellington's Tapu Te Ranga Marae overnight.

A total of 70 firefighters were called to the fire at the sprawling live-in urban marae at Island Bay at 12.30am this morning.

A group of 36 people staying at the marae were forced to flee the blaze and everyone inside had been accounted for, Fire and Emergency NZ (FENZ) said this morning.

One firefighter had received burns to his hands and had been taken to hospital.

A multi-storey building in the marae complex was razed in the fire and other buildings were damaged - however the main meeting house was saved from the flames.

"A number of neighbouring houses to the north of the marae complex were evacuated," FENZ said,

"Some people have been allowed to return to their properties this morning. Those who haven't are being accommodated at a welfare centre set up by Wellington City Council in Island Bay."

Three fire trucks remained at the site to dampen down hot spots.

Earlier, Fire and Emergency NZ central shift manager Mike Wanoa said the main building was in ruins but the meeting house has been saved.

The fire service was first called to the marae at about 12.30am, with multiple calls to a "very very large fire", Wanoa said.

"There were people there, a large group, but no one was hurt and they were evacuated."

Tapu Te Ranga marae is on fire whanau pic.twitter.com/WrZBh3PDY8

— Gunzblazin (@Gunzblazin2) June 8, 2019

So a couple of hours ago I was evacuated from our house. The marae next door somehow caught on fire. We are okay, no idea where our cats are and still waiting to go home (hopefully we can) pic.twitter.com/mW59aVIaCt

— Ethan Hill (@Ewok_Ethan) June 8, 2019

At the height of the blaze nineteen fire appliances and around 50 firefighters attended from the city, Porirua and Lower Hutt. Police also attended the incident to help evacuate the marae and neighbouring properties.

The fire was brought under control shortly after 3am but is still not out, he said. Four appliances and other supporting units with officers are at the scene.

The huge main marae building had completely collapsed and other outbuildings were also compromised, Wanoa said. No neighbouring properties had been damaged although there was a large amount of smoke and some homes were evacuated.

When dawn broke fire investigators would begin looking into the cause of the blaze.

The marae has issued a brief statement on Facebook, thanking emergency services, Māori Wardens and Wellington City Council staff and volunteers.

"We are grateful that residents and the Marae whānau are safe and accounted for," the statement said. Further comment would be given later today.

Bruce Stewart, who founded Tapu Te Ranga Marae, died in 2017. File photo / Robert Paterson

Tapu Te Ranga was built in the 1970s by people from the local community, led by author Bruce Stewart, who died in 2017.

Stewart wanted the marae to serve as a place where unemployed and homeless young Māori could learn life skills and reconnect with their culture. In recent years thousands of people have visited the marae annually.