Customers ushered from burning shop

As soon as Danielle Wilson saw flames, she knew she had to get people out.

The Postie Mosgiel sales assistant was the sole staff member in the Gordon Rd store when a fire broke out yesterday afternoon.

The cause of the fire was still unknown yesterday, but Miss Wilson said she believed it started in an upstairs kitchen.

"I was helping a customer out and I heard a noise, and there were flickering lights.

"It was like a `boom' sound, like someone was throwing something into a skip, it was really noisy.

"A customer said there was smoke, and I looked up and I saw flames."

She immediately shouted, "There's a fire, everyone get out."

There were "four or five" customers in the shop at the time, and everyone got out safely, she said.

"It was really scary.

"I was just scared for everyone in the shop."

A Fire and Emergency NZ spokesman said five fire crews, including the Dunedin command unit, attended the fire.

Fire crews were called to the scene about noon, to what was a "relatively small" fire.

But because of its upstairs location, firefighters found it difficult to get to, he said.

Thick smoke could be seen drifting out of the front entrance to the shop as firefighters wearing breathing apparatus prepared to enter.

Firefighters were still on the scene at 4.20pm yesterday.

The fire was out, but they wanted to make sure it "didn't rear its ugly head again", the spokesman said.