KEY POINTS:
A fireball engulfed the kitchen of a busy Takapuna restaurant last night, forcing dozens of diners to run from the building.
GPK in Takapuna was evacuated after a fire broke out in the kitchen at approximately 9.30pm.
Eye witness Sally Dymond was walking towards the restaurant as the incident took place.
"I heard this 'whoosh' noise and looked up at the kitchen as it exploded in a fireball," she said.
"The chef was trying to put it out with an extinguisher and people started running from the building."
Four appliances attended the scene with firefighters smashing the restaurant's windows and those of a neighbouring shop.
A kitchen hand was treated on the scene for smoke inhalation and there were no reported injuries.
Although the dinner service was coming to a close for the night, a waitress confirmed that the restaurant was full at the time the fire broke out.
She said she was outside serving when she heard a loud bang. She was unsure what had happened but then saw people being evacuated from the building.
Smoke billowed from the building, filling Hurstmere Rd, which was closed by the Fire Service.
