A fire destroyed several shops in the Northland town of Dargaville last night.
About 100 fire personnel were called in to control the blaze which was later brought under control, fire service said.
Emergency services were called to Normanby Street at 7.37pm , after flames were first spotted
coming from a home decorating shop.
By 8.50pm more than 20 appliances had been called in from throughout the region, with flames spreading to four shops.
It took fire fighters about 2-1/2 hours to get the blaze under control and fire crews continued to dampen down hot spots overnight , Northland fire safety officer Craig Bain said.
There were no injuries and one person living in a flat above one of the shops, was escorted to safety.
Dargaville Volunteer Fire Brigade chief fire officer Mitch King said the service received many calls saying there was a building on fire between Victoria and Normanby Sts.
Mr King said fire fighters found an interiors store, where the fire was believed to have started, well ablaze.
"Due to the ferocity and size of the fire it was unable to be contained and more fire trucks and crews were needed from several centres around Kaipara, Whangarei and Maungaturoto, " he said.
Around 100 fire personnel, plus Kaipara District Council and St John Ambulance staff, helped with police containing the surrounding area, keeping the public at bay.
Owner of Foster's Home Decorating Ken Foster said he watched helplessly as his furniture shop went up in flames at around 7.30pm.
He said the business he and his wife Elain had worked hard to build up over many years was just a blazing inferno with an estimated stock loss of $500,000 and the building containing it, believed to be around $1.5 million.
"My whole life's in there mate and we'd just about done 26 years," he told the Dargaville and Districts News.
Mr Foster said the couple bought the building in 1994, having moved in from premises across the road.
They then built it up to an up-market furniture store and Resene colour shop.
Mr Foster said the building was insured for replacement value.
Mr King said the fire was the biggest the town has seen since the mid-1960s, and about five business premises believed to be aged around 70 to 80 years old, had been destroyed.
- NZPA
