Toxic smoke closes dairy

SUSPECTED ARSON: The Four Square store was closed yesterday.PHOTO / LIN FERGUSON 391214WCLFFIRE2

Toxic smoke from a suspicious fire closed a dairy yesterday.

The fire - treated as suspected arson by police - started in a metal crate of cardboard banana and apple boxes at the rear of the Patea Four Square store about 11.30pm on Sunday night.

"The fire travelled up the back wall into the roof, filling the inside of the store with thick, toxic smoke," Hawera Detective Constable Oliver Brooker said yesterday.

The Patea Volunteer Fire Brigade were at the smoke-filled shop within minutes along with owner Ashrin Patel and his cousin Pratik Patel and neighbours.

Next-door neighbour Edith Cheetham, who lives at the rear of her secondhand shop, said she smelled the smoke first.

"It absolutely stank - I thought someone was burning some horrible smelly rubbish. Then I got a text from my daughter who is a volunteer fire officer here asking me if I was all right because she had just been beeped about the fire."

Mrs Cheetham said she rushed outside and saw black smoke pouring from the roof of the store.

"Someone opened the front doors of the shop and the smoke just poured out like a river."

Ashrin Patel, who lives in a nearby street, said he was shocked to see the fire - but even more shocked to find out it had probably been deliberately lit.

The family took over the shop in May 2013 and loved the small community, he said.

"We have got along with the local people really well - they like us and we like them."

Fortunately, the smoke hadn't caused too much damage. Powerlines company Tenix had thoroughly checked all the wiring and a local electrician was working yesterday to get the shop ready to open again today.

Mr Patel said he would never forget the alarm activation on his cellphone that night.

"I could see nothing - I could hear the alarm but the screen only showed grey smoke, so I ran fast to get to the shop."

Mrs Cheetham said she was awake all night. "It was very frightening knowing that the fire was probably the work of an arsonist and that it could happen again."

The boxes outside the rear of the shop in the crate were for people who need boxes to pack when moving, Mr Patel said.

"They were the good strong boxes and they were just beside the back door."

Mr Brooker had no doubt the offenders would be caught.

"I'm pretty sure it won't take us long."