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A fire-damaged shopping mall on Auckland's North Shore opened on time today after a team of tradesmen worked overnight clearing up the mess.
More than 80 firefighters and 18 fire appliances raced to the Milford Mall just north of Takapuna yesterday afternoon when fire broke out in a small shop behind The Warehouse.
The mall was evacuated of hundreds of shoppers and business people as firefighters and police closed streets around the busy shopping centre.
However, the New Zealand Retail Property Group, which has just bought the mall, said it would open on time today.
Retail property manager Steve Holyer said fire safety officers were still working at the mall to determine how the fire began.
"We worked through the night. We are here, we are ready. We have had a fairly big team here all night," he said today.
He said some stores would stay closed while the cleanup continued but "most of the stores will be open".
Sprinkler systems were activated in part of the store and there was some water and smoke damage.
However, Mr Holyer said when the air conditioning was switched on it would complete the venting which had been happening overnight, removing most of the smoke smell.
Mr Holyer said damage was isolated to the E-Thing store near The Warehouse where the fire began.
One woman was treated for smoke inhalation.
Mr Holyer said the New Zealand Retail Property Group had just bought the Milford Mall and the Highbury Mall, also on the North Shore.
He said they had just told Milford Mall business people about the upgrade plans for the mall and those plans could now be accelerated because of the fire.
- NZPA
