Blaze rips through supermarket

The heart of Kaikohe was brought to a near standstill yesterday as fire ripped through the New World supermarket.

As thick black acidic smoke billowed out of the supermarket people in nearby buildings, including the the local courthouse - were evacuated.

Others closed doors and windows, while one woman donned a surgical mask in an attempt to block out the smoke.

The fire broke out in the back of the Marino St building, possibly above the produce chiller, at 10.30am. There were around 35 staff and 30 customers inside at the time.

Bay of Islands Vet trading manager Julie Simpson was heading outside when she saw smoke from the building.

The town's alarms then went off.

Within minutes flames spread throughout the supermarket, estimated to be about 9000sq m.

Ms Simpson said old wooden pellets were stored at the back of New World and that may have contributed to the fire taking hold so quickly.

"It just burnt right through, from the back to the front," she said.

"We could hear all the aerosol cans popping in there and then all the glass from the front windows came crashing down."

Choking smoke billowed across the street and into the vet clinic, triggering office manager Sylvia Stockman's asthma, forcing her to don a surgical mask.

As firefighters fought the blaze, police visited neighbouring businesses warning people to be prepared to evacuate if needed - there were concerns refrigerators might explode.

Northland Volunteer Support Officer Colin Kitchen said there were also initial fears that an employee may have been trapped inside but that person was quickly accounted for.

Firefighters then focused on containing the fire and removing bags of fireworks from a nearby building.

At the height of the blaze, the biggest in Northland for some time, there were more than 40 firefighters from as far as Whangarei.

Resources included six pumps, one water tanker, one aerial appliance and around 10 support vehicles including chiefs, volunteer support staff and a command unit.

New World owner Bernie McGinty said he was devastated by the fire but grateful everyone was evacuated safely.

The store did not have a sprinkler system but staff had undergone an evacuation drill the previous morning.

The supermarket employs around 70 staff. It was too early to say if it would be rebuilt.

Far North District Council communications manager Jodi Hayward said the fire would have a big impact on the town, especially to those who worked there.

"I guess the only positive thing to come out of today was seeing the community come together."

Miss Hayward said a collection had already raised $600 to help staff - who had lost their bags, wallets and car keys in the fire.

Fire Safety Officers are expected to continue their investigation into the cause of the fire today.