Kaikohe New World Destroyed By Fire

8th November 2005 1.30pm

Kaikohe New World Destroyed By Fire

The owner of Kaikohe New World says while it's devastating fire has destroyed his store, he is very grateful all his staff and customers were safely evacuated.

"We had a fire drill just yesterday, and our evacuation procedure this morning went exactly as rehearsed. Everyone was very calm - there was no panic at all and all our staff and shoppers were accounted for," says store owner Bernie McGinty.

He suspects an electrical fault caused the blaze. A power outage delayed the store's opening by an hour until 9 o'clock this morning, and at about 10.15am the smoke alarm sounded.

On discovering flames above the produce chiller, they evacuated the store of the approximately 35 staff and 30 shoppers and called the Fire Service.

The fire is now under control and Mr McGinty says his first concern is for staff, and he has already held one meeting with them, with another planned for tomorrow.

"While it's too early to say what's going to happen next, as one of the largest local employers, with 70 staff, we're obviously very conscious of the impact something like this can have on a town."

Parent company Foodstuffs (Auckland) Limited also has a Four Square in Kaikohe. All Foodstuffs stores are individually owned and operated and very much part of their communities.

ENDS

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