Porirua shopping centre blaze leaves huge bill in its wake

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.

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