Shop blaze caused by fried-food scraps

Whangarei fire safety officer Craig Bain standing next to the source of last week's fire at Waipu's Magic Chinese Takeaways. Photo / John Stone

The fire that gutted a Waipu takeaway was caused by fried food scraps spontaneously catching alight, a fire safety officer says.

Firefighters were called to the blaze at Waipu's Magic Chinese Takeaways, on the corner of The Centre and Nova Scotia Dr, before 6am last Wednesday.

"It looks like it was the hot scrapings from the deep fryer that had been placed into a bag, which had been placed into a box under the deep fryer," Whangarei fire safety officer Craig Bain said.

"[They] spontaneously caught fire, heating the oil [in the deep fryers] and causing it to boil over. It's a warning to the takeaway industry to dispose of them [the scraps] properly."

Magic Chinese Takeaways owner Colin Xu said he is in talks with his insurance company, and expects repairs on the rented property to commence in one to two months.

Mr Xu thanks Waipu baker Him Kim for saving his life in last week's blaze. Mr Kim, who owns Waipu bakery nearby, was alerted to the smoke coming from the building by a customer, and quickly jumped into action.

Knowing Mr Xu was asleep in the living quarters attached to the takeaway shop, Mr Kim knocked on all the doors and windows of the residence, trying to rouse the occupants, while his wife Chou Siv dialled 111.

Mr Xu, who bought the takeaway business in April, remembers waking up to Mr Kim's frantic knocking on windows and doors. "I saw lots of smoke, black smoke."

Waipu deputy fire chief Alan Vaile said two engines came from Waipu and Ruakaka stations to battle the blaze. Fire-fighters had to smash through glass sliding doors to enter.

"It was a really good save by all the firefighters, who prevented it spreading to the living quarters," he said.