Matt Silver has to find a new home for his collection of 20 historic engines, or they may all have to be sold. CAMERON BURNELL/ FAIRFAX NZ

An enthusiast’s dream to preserve and display about 20 historic fire engines looks like going up in smoke.

Matt Silver has been working for almost 15 years to establish a fire museum in Wellington, but has been unable to turn his dream into reality.

Now the old 1940s Car Giant warehouse in Petone, where he keeps the engines, is set for demolition, and he has to find somewhere else to store them while he continues to raise funds towards a permanent solution.

“The only space available within my budget is in an open air compound in which the fire engines – some that are 50 years old – will deteriorate very quickly, and in the past have been vandalised by scrap metal thieves pinching thousands of dollars of irreplaceable parts and batteries,” Silver said.

“If there is a landlord out there who has an empty warehouse and can help, that would be great.”

But if he cannot find dry and secure storage in the next two or three weeks, he fears he will no longer be able to keep the collection, which he has funded on his own so far.

The other option would be to turn to public fundraising.

“There is an ideal [warehouse] available at a discounted rate of $5000 a month, where potentially 50 fire engines and a fire education centre could be housed. But that is still too much for me to pay out of my own pocket.”

The perfect solution would be for a council or the Fire Service to step up, he said. He had approached the Fire Service and regional councils to back a museum in the Wellington area, but without success.

“It is the 150th anniversary of the Wellington Fire Service, and a fire museum in the Wellington region would be a fitting way to pay tribute to those who have served.”

Efforts were was made in 2007 to seek funding and support to turn the old Lower Hutt fire station in Waterloo Rd into a museum, he said. Eight years later, it sits empty and badly vandalised.

A Fire Service spokesman confirmed Silver had approached it periodically about his idea of setting up a museum in Wellington. But it did not have the resources to fund a private project.

NEIL RATLEY – Stuff

Cannons Creek Chinese Fast Food & Takeaways owner and his daughter watch firefighters at their gutted family business. – MAARTEN HOLL/FAIRFAX NZ

The fire did not last long, but the ramifications and hardship could be felt for weeks.

Police and fire investigators were still sifting through the mess and damage to determine what sparked the fire at Cannons Creek shopping centre.

It started in Cannons Creek Chinese Fast Food and Takeaways, one of about 20 shops in a two-storey concrete building in Warspite Ave. It’s now gutted.

Fire fighters are battling a blaze at a Porirua shopping centre. – Missy Winiata/Facebook

But it has also left many businesses with losses after water and smoke damage, and through stock and trade disruption.

The Pasifika Health Service upstairs was badly damaged.

Power was switched off to the building and many neighbouring shops because of fears the fire had damaged wires in the roof.

The wires will be assessed today, but the power cut meant many of the shops were closed all of yesterday, leaving owners missing out on trade plus some losing thousands of dollars in perishable stock.

Porirua Mayor Nick Leggett said the damage to Pasifika Health Service would also be a “pretty crucial loss” for the Cannons Creek community.

“Pasifika Health are very good service provider in Cannons Creek … I would hope that there might be some temporary accommodation for them. It’s going to be a struggle.”

However, power was switched off to the building and many neighbouring shops because of fears the blaze had damaged wires in the roof, which made it unsafe.

The wires would be assessed on Monday but meant many of Cannons Creek shops were closed all of Sunday, leaving owners missing out on trade plus some losing thousands of dollars in perishable stock.

The owner of the Cannons Creek Dairy, which was beside the burned-out takeaway but in a separate building, said he had lost around $8000 of frozen meat, chicken, ice cream and other goods, which defrosted because of the power cut. He also lost a day’s takings.

Neighbouring business Katie Asian Supplies had also lost thousands of dollars worth of defrosted food and takings, worker Ratha You said.

“Let’s just hope the power comes back soon because the food will just rot away.”

Sunday was normally the busiest day so the takings loss would be significant, he said.

He knew the takeaway’s tenants.

“They’re really kind, they always bring us food… it’s quite sad what’s happened to their store.”

The fire service was alerted about 7.30am on Sunday and by the time they arrived, smoke was billowing from the centre and the takeaway outlet on the ground floor was well ablaze.

Firefighters struggled to break in to the centre to battle the fire because most of its retail and hospitality shops were heavily barricaded by metal roller-doors and padlocks.

“The Chinese takeaway store was locked up like a fortress, as they are around here. The shops are well secured against burglary with those big metal roller doors,” fire commander John Devereux said.

A power saw was needed to cut through its corrugated roller-door.

Nine fire engines and 40 firefighters attended the blaze and had it under control within an hour. They donned breathing apparatus to search the building.

The flames spread through the flue of the fast-food joint’s fat fryers in to the Pacifika Health Service community centre above, but was otherwise contained within its concrete walls. No-one was injured.

Devereux said the community centre was unsafe to enter and its roof was damaged.

The building’s owner, who declined to be named, said his tenant told him about the fire at about 9am and he went to the scene, but was unable to gain entry to the destroyed takeaways. Both the tenants and himself had insurance.

“How the fire started, what happened, I don’t know… I can’t do anything.”

The takeaway’s owners arrived soon after firefighters and watched silently as they worked on their destroyed family business.

They declined to speak to media.

Champions Fruit Store employee Pray Meh Nga, who worked three shops away, said she heard the alarm sound and a customer ran into the shop to get her to call emergency services.

“They could see flames and smoke. It’s lucky nobody was hurt.”

Next door, the Cook Island hall’s manager, Poko Ngaro, said he was “shocked” by the blaze.

“It’s a big loss to the community.”

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.”

One shop owner, who declined to be named, said the takeaway’s tenants had taken over within the last two years after a major refit of the business.

The entire upper floor of the building was “knee deep in water”, affecting a Pacific Islander health service that tenanted it.

Devereaux said the fire’s cause was yet to be determined, but it was unlikely to be suspicious because all the shops were so securely closed, he said.

JESSY EDWARDS AND CALEB HARRIS – Stuff

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

As a 15-year-old Porirua boy ran towards a burning house in Cannons Creek, all he could think about was his little sister, who died in a house fire seven years ago.

Porirua teen Kioa Latu-Futialo stands in front of the windows he caught children from when the house was ablaze. – ASHTEN MACDONALD

Instead, Kioa ran over, caught each of the three children one by one, before getting help to catch the older man, who was about to jump to save himself.

Monday night’s fire brought back memories for Kioa of his sister, who died in their family home while he was at school at the time.

Kioa’s mum, Christina Latu-Fagasoaia, believed he ran to help the three children in Durham St because he knew he could make a difference and save them. She hailed her son as a hero.

“Kioa was in his room, then next thing I know he is calling me from outside and I tried to stop him from running towards the house but he wouldn’t stop.

“I followed him and could see a man hanging out the window about to drop some kids. Kioa caught the first kid, then the second, and the third before another man came from across the road to help catch the old man.”

The top floor was engulfed in flames, but that did not matter to Kioa, she said.

“He is very brave. For myself, I was dead frozen, but he wasn’t. He is a hero …”[but] then it could have been anyone else too, had they been on the scene before us, but were grateful no-one had died. That’s a big blessing.

She and Kioa waited with the rescued family until the ambulance and fire services arrived. “We were just glad no-one was hurt in the fire.”

That is something she can’t say about the fire at her home in 2008. “I got three of my children out, but I couldn’t get the fourth … I still live with that every day of my life.

“I think he [Kioa] did what he did because that’s what he would have done if he was home on the day of our house fire.”Latu-Fagasoaia said they had not heard from the family, after they left the scene late on Monday night.

Fire services said the cause of Monday night’s fire was unknown.

CHLOE WINTER – Stuff –

At the height of the fire 14 appliances attended. Chris Lipscombe

The emergency response to a fire that has engulfed the first floor of a building in Porirua’s CBD has been hampered by the traffic chaos caused by flooding.

Fire Service shift commander Jan Wills said 14 fire engines were either at, or on their way, to the blaze, which broke out on the first floor of the five-storey Pember House on Hagley St.

Wills said crews from Porirua were there and the fire was heavily involved.

It was not known if it was flood-related.