The night sky in Queenstown was lit up in the early hours by a raging fire, which has badly damaged a downtown apartment block

Paramedics treated seven people at the scene on Huff Sreet soon after 2am - three went to hospital.

Fire communications shift manager Brent Dunn says firefighters from across the region were called in to help.

He says the crews were from Queenstown, Frankton, Arrowtown, Cromwell and Alexandra, and the fire was under control by about 4.20am.

A fire investigator is on scene this morning.