UPDATE – 2 PM: MORE DETAILS REVEALED. CLICK HERE FOR MORE.
EARLIER: Firefighters are working to extinguish a fire on the roof of the Zero Davey building after it was reportedly struck by lightning.
The Tasmania Fire Service tell Pulse a structure on the roof ‘has been impacted’ and crews from Hobart, Glenorchy and Clarence are on the scene.
“On arrival crews found that a fire was increasing in size on the upper level of the building,” the TFS say.
Davey Street has been reduced down to one lane as a result of the blaze.
Around 100 guests have been evacuated from the building and relocated to other accommodation nearby.
The BOM expect the severe thunderstorm to continue across parts of the state into the early hours of Sunday morning.
UPDATE SUNDAY 9AM: The Zero Davey building has been left with ‘significant’ smoke and fire damage after the fire spread through internal ducting overnight.
The TFS say crews faced challenges due to a “malfunctioning” fire detection and evacuation warning system caused by an ‘electrical issue’.
Firefighters manually evacuated some guests and paramedics assessed those from inside the building for smoke inhalation.
The fire has been extinguished and an investigation into the cause is now underway.
