Dozens of firefighters are battling a blaze that broke out in the Countdown supermarket in WestCity mall in West Auckland tonight.
Video / Hayley Rayner
Dozens of firefighters are battling a blaze that has broken out in the chip aisle of a West Auckland supermarket tonight.
Customers have been evacuated from WestCity mall in Henderson after a fire started in aisle 6 of the Countdown supermarket just before 8.30pm.
Te Atatū resident Hayley Rayner was paying for her shopping when she noticed the fire.
"I was at the check out...and we heard some people and I didn't really understand what they were saying but they all pulled their phones. The shelf was just on fire.
She watched as security tried to put the fire out.
"The security went and got the extinguisher and used it. I thought it had gone out but then there was more flames coming up above the shelves. By then, my shopping had finished being scanned. [When] I paywaved the purchase...I could feel some heat from the fire."
"It was freaky."
It's unclear whether the supermarket or mall would be open tomorrow.
The blaze started in an aisle in the supermarket. Photo / Hayley Rayner
Rayner said she ran outside and called Fire and Emergency NZ who advised her crew were already on the way. A fire truck arrived before she left to go home.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand shift manager Paul Radden said 60 firefighters were responding to a "significant" fire inside the Henderson mall. Crews are also undertaking a search of the building.
The supermarket is located on Level 2 in the WestCity shopping mall and opens late on Thursday and Friday until 9 pm.
Another customer said he was two aisles away when the fire started.
"I just kept my trolley to the side...and left when I saw fire extinguishers were not working."
He questioned why there were no water sprinklers to help extinguish the flames.
It's understood there is significant water damage at the supermarket - and at least one sprinkler in the building had gone off.
A Te Atatū resident said he heard eight fire trucks "roaring by" his house.
Fire crews were called from around the city to the WestCity mall in Henderson. Photo / Zoe Holland
NZME's Zoe Holland said police officers were stopping and rerouting traffic and there were cordons set up on the corner of Great North Rd and Vitasovich Rd.
"Fire, security and police sirens can be heard and shoppers can be seen outside the mall in the car park."
