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The Golden Arches took on a different hue overnight when the famous sign in front of an Auckland McDonald’s restaurant caught fire, sending flames cascading down to a garden below.
The dramatic scene played out at the outlet on Whangaparāoa Rd on the Hibiscus Coast just before midnight on Sunday.
Local resident Anaru Hill captured a photo of the sign fully ablaze and said the heat from the fire was “intense” and it was producing smoke that he described as “toxic”.
Hill told the Herald he first saw the sign flickering as he drove home from a late shift.
He said locals have been concerned about the flickering sign for months but he pulled over on Sunday night because it appeared to be more dramatic than usual.
Moments after he stopped, the sign exploded in a “huge flash” and fire quickly took hold.
The Golden Arches exploded into flames late on Sunday night. Photo / Anaru Hill
He called emergency services and was forced back due to the heat and smoke and said it was the quick actions of firefighters that prevented it spreading further, sharing his concerns that the fire was avoidable.
Hill said he wanted to give a shout-out to local volunteers who he said were quickly on the scene to fight the blaze.
Fire and Emergency NZ confirmed that it attended the scene, with one crew extinguishing a fire on the sign and in the garden below.
Locals who saw photos posted online were quick to see the lighter side of the drama, with many wondering if Maccas was following Burger King in offering a “flame-grilled” option.
Others shared Hill’s concern that the fire might have been prevented, suggesting that it had been flickering for months before the fire.
“That sign been flickering for months ... and they keep leaving it on after closing,” one concerned local wrote. “Not surprised, but worried.”
A McDonald’s spokesperson told the Herald that staff were inside the store when the fire began.
“We’re currently investigating what caused the exterior pole sign at our Whangaparāoa restaurant to catch fire overnight,” the spokesperson said.
“The restaurant was closed at the time, and staff were finishing up cleaning when the incident occurred. They notified emergency services, who responded quickly.”
