Two fires in same building 'not suspicious'

Photo / File

Two separate fires in a South Auckland shopping complex were unrelated and not suspicious, the Fire Service says.

Papatoetoe senior station officer Terry Jenner said crews were called to the first blaze at a butchery at the back of the Himalay Building on Great North Road in Otahuhu around 7pm.

Mr Jenner said the fire started inside a large commercial oven where the butcher was making beef jerky.

"We're not quite sure what started that, but the fire was in the oven and blew the doors open and completely filled the area with smoke and it got into the ceiling space."

He said when crews arrived, smoke had spread throughout the building. The fire was contained within the oven.

Mr Jenner said crews were called back to the scene just before midnight following a second fire at a fish and chip shop on the other side of the building.

He said the blaze "completely gutted" the shop and again filled the building with more smoke.

The fire was completely extinguished around 4.30am.

Despite initial fears the fires were related, Mr Jenner said they started completely separately and were unrelated. Neither fire was considered suspicious.