Supermarket fire could have been prevented

A spectacular fire that destroyed a Kaikohe supermarket and came close to igniting a large cache of fireworks could have been avoided if the building had sprinklers, say fire chiefs.

The fire at the New World supermarket started at 10.15am at the back of the 1000sq m building and escalated rapidly.

Initially it was feared a person was trapped inside, but it was soon established all 35 staff and 30 shoppers were safe.

Firefighters broke into a shed at the back of the building and removed fireworks to prevent an explosion.

The Marino Pl building did not have a sprinkler system and there was no requirement for one when it was built, Fire Safety officer Craig Bain said.

"A sprinkler system would have been the difference between a small fire and a big fire."

However, staff had been put through a fire drill just the previous day and the building had been evacuated quickly, he said.

Principal rural fire officer Lance Johnson said it was a compliment to the store's management that everyone got out alive.

The NZ Fire Service and Far North District Council has ordered the remnants of the building to be demolished.

Kaikohe deputy chief fire officer Loren Thomas said the flames were leaping out of all exits to the building by the time fire crews arrived.

"We had to make entry through the back - there was too much heat and smoke coming from the front," he said.

"We had to contain the fire. It was too far gone by then." He described the smoke and heat as "horrendous".

Only firefighters wearing breathing apparatus were allowed near the gutted building until hours after the blaze had been brought under control.

Neither were firefighters allowed into the main building because of fears of the roof collapsing. Cracks had developed in external walls and a firewall between the store and another business had bowed severely.

New World owner Bernie McGinty said flames were first seen above the produce chiller and he suspected the cause was an electrical fault. A power outage delayed the store's opening by an hour and at about 10.15am the smoke alarm sounded, he said.

Seventy jobs at the supermarket are now up in the air and a staff meeting was planned for today.

"While it's too early to say what's going to happen next, as one of the largest local employers, with 70 staff, we're obviously very conscious of the impact something like this can have on a town," Mr McGinty said.

Smoke blanketed parts of the town and cleared out the nearby courthouse.

A witness said the smoke first appeared as a light mist but quickly turned thick and black.

Ten fire trucks attended the scene and 40 firefighters from across Northland battled the blaze, Kaitaia Fire Brigade deputy chief fire officer Colin Kitchen said.

The building was fully ablaze by the time the crews arrived.

Last night firefighters were called back when flames flared up at the rear of the building. Firefighters attended the scene for less than an hour.

Kaikohe Warehouse manager Ngally Manumaleuga said the fire would increase demand on the town's remaining grocery outlets.

"A lot of people are going to come to us for groceries. We have made our support office aware and are waiting for instructions.

"Everybody smells of smoke. Pretty much the whole town does," he said yesterday.

Far North District Council staff raised $600 to help the New World staff, many of whom lost wallets and personal items kept in lockers that went up with the building.

- NORTHERN ADVOCATE