Whangārei Asahi Sushi Bar fire cause revealed

Everyone got out safely when a fire broke out in Asahi Sushi Bar in the Whangārei CBD. Photo / Brodie Stone

A fire investigator says the blaze in a popular sushi bar in Whangārei’s CBD was likely caused by unattended cooking.

The fire broke out at 9.45am yesterday and took fire crews nearly two hours to contain.

Fire investigator Graeme Matthews said it looked as though the blaze was caused by unattended cooking in a deep fat fryer.

He said the damage through the front of the shop and kitchen out the back was “extensive”.

Matthews said the main thing was that staff and customers were able to evacuate safely.

At this stage, it did not look as though there was any damage to the neighbouring shops.

Matthews said that was partly down to good fire stops in place out the back of the shop, meaning the flames were not able to spread much further.

The neighbouring building was also “solid concrete,” he said.

“The fire’s been contained solely in the sushi shop tenancy. There’s a little bit of smoke and fume damage in other areas, but apart from that, the building’s fine.”

Matthews said a fire from unattended cooking “could happen to anybody”.

The fire broke out about 9.45am on Monday at Asahi Sushi Bar on Cameron St. Photo / Denise Piper

Fire and Emergency shift manager Paul Radden said on Monday three crews fought the blaze in the two-level, multi-tenanted building.

Cameron St, between Bank St and the Cameron St Mall, was closed to allow the fire engines to access the building, reopening just before midday.

Asahi Sushi Bar owner Jenny Seo told a reporter at the scene that the kitchen crew had been getting ready for a busy Labour Day Monday lunchtime.

Smoke continued to billow for almost an hour after the fire.

Brodie Stone covers crime and emergency for the Northern Advocate. She has spent most of her life in Whangārei and is passionate about delving into issues that matter to Northlanders and beyond.