Fire fighters are battling a blaze at a Porirua shopping centre. – Missy Winiata/Facebook
A Chinese takeaway store in Porirua has been gutted after a fire ripped through it on Sunday morning.
Nine fire engines and about 40 fire fighters from six stations attended the blaze at Cannons Creek Chinese Fast Food and Takeaways, one of the shops in the suburb’s main shopping centre on Warspite Avenue.
The takeaway store is one tenant in a two-storey concrete shopping mall of about 20 stores.
Fire was called to the shopping centre at about 7.27am on Sunday after being notified by a fire alarm, and having multiple members of public calling in to report smoke.
Fire commander John Devereux said, after entering the shop, fire fighters had it under control within an hour.
The shop was gutted, he said.
“It’s severely damaged, it will need a complete makeover.”
Devereux said the cause of the fire wasn’t know. “But we do know all the shops were secure,” he said.
The owners of the store, a couple and their young daughter, stood outside and watched silently as firefighters rolled up hoses, picked up axes used to break in, and left the scene of the fire-ravaged, blackened shop.
The family then sat in the Cook Island hall which sits separate to but metres away from the takeaway store.
The hall’s manager Poko Ngaro said he was “shocked” by the blaze.
“It’s a big loss to the community,” he said.
“[The owners are] inside the hall, I think they’re feeling saddened but they’re waiting for insurance,” he said.
Porirua local Denise Sionie said the community would be “quite shocked”.
“It’s sad because they’re such a hard working family and there’s always people in the shop,” she said.
Another local, Ivan Vowles, said he felt “gutted” for the owners.
“I’m not being nasty but it’s the best burgers here in Porirua.”
Staff in another local fish and chip shop said they were “very sad” for the family.
Fire managed to mostly contain the blaze to the takeaway store, but the community hall above the shop suffered damage to the roof and was not safe to enter.
Local resident Davey Brown said the hall was used for birthday parties, as well as community activities like dance-fitness, which he attended.
“It’s a big blow for us,” he said.
Adjoining stores had also been broken into by fire fighters checking the fire had not spread.
Padlocks had been cut open with bolt-cutters and shop doors were wide-open. A police officer stood guard nearby as store-owners assessed the damage.
Fire fighters said adjoining shops may have been affected by some water damage.
Power had been disconnected to the complex and Wellington Electricity was working to get it back up and running.
JESSY EDWARDS – Stuff
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