Media release

Newmarket Business Association

Sunday 19 April 2009

Sex shop destroyed in fire thanks to neighbour frying nuts

Arguably central Auckland’ most intriguing fire in recent memory, which saw the Den Adult Concepts store on Khyber Pass Road completely incinerated, was caused by a downstairs restaurant frying nuts, it has now been revealed.

Newmarket’s largest fire for many years saw a police helicopter, 18 fire trucks and about 80 firefighters from across Auckland called to the scene, the Thursday evening before Good Friday.

“Senior fire safety officer Roy Warren has advised that in the restaurant below the sex shop a chef was frying peanuts in a wok of oil, when the oil caught alight. The chef tried to put the fire out but was unsuccessful. The fire then quickly spread up the vertical ventilation duct, which had a layer of fat in it which apparently isn’t unusual. The red hot ventilation duct soon set fire to the wooden roof cavity, gutting the upstairs sex shop, but only causing minor damage to the restaurant kitchen below,” says Newmarket Business Association head, Cameron Brewer.

“So many people have been asking how on earth did the sex shop catch alight on the eve of Easter. It has been the talk of the town and really caught people’s imaginations. There have been plenty of tongue in cheek one-liners circulating, but rest assured the owner of The Den, Adrian Jones and his team are absolutely devastated, particularly when you consider it was through no fault of their own. They have always been professional and great promoters of their business. We really feel for them.

"These guys have been on the street for 13 years, and yet their business was destroyed within minutes. Not one thing has been salvageable, with hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of stock destroyed, and a lot of business forgone for the next few months.”

Mr Brewer says the business originated out of Sydney with Auckland stores also in Karangahape Road, Wyndham Street and Takapuna. However Newmarket was its largest store and possibly the largest sex shop in Auckland. He said the Den is vowing to set up again in Newmarket as soon as possible.

“Some may find it very interesting to learn that the sex shop caught alight thanks to the downstairs neighbour frying nuts. Make what you will out of it!”  

Ends
 

The owner of the Newmarket sex shop destroyed in a blaze before Easter weekend is vowing to be back in business as soon as possible

The Den Adult Concepts store on Khyber Pass Rd went up in flames on April 9 after oil and nuts caught fire at the restaurant below.

A police helicopter, 18 fire trucks and about 80 firefighters from across Auckland were called to the scene.

Owner Adrian Jones was driving home from work shortly after 5pm when an employee phoned with the bad news.

He turned straight around and ended up watching as his shop of 13 years was incinerated.

"The whole building was on fire within about six minutes," he says. "Everything is totally gone. There is not one thing that’s."

He estimates he lost stock worth "hundreds of thousands" along with business in the months to come.

Seeing the shop in its present state, with charred goods covering the floor and a foul smell, is "depressing", he says.

"But we’ll be back. We’ve got three other shops and we’ll be back in business in Newmarket, if not in this same spot then somewhere else.

"You get knocked down but you get up again."

Senior fire safety officer Roy Warren says the blaze started in the restaurant under the adult store.

"At the back of the ground floor restaurant area there was a cook using a wok full of oil, apparently to cook some peanuts.

"The oil caught fire and he tried to put it out. He put a lid on it, put another lid on it, threw a blanket on it and used a fire extinguisher but didn’t manage to put it out.

"The fire then spread from the wok into the ventilation duct above it."

The fire travelled up the vertical duct, through the adult shop and into the roof.

"We believe the ventilation duct had a layer of fat in it, which isn’t unusual.

"We believe that caught on fire and when the steel duct got hot enough it set fire to the wood in the roof and down into the adult shop."

While little damage is visible from the outside, inside the sex shop was gutted. The kitchen where the fire started suffered minor damage – a ruined ducting system and water damage from the firefighting at the floor above.

The building had a heat detection system but no sprinklers. Mr Warren says sprinklers might have made a difference.

Two firefighters were injured while fighting the blaze. One from Avondale station underwent surgery after a cut to his hand severed a tendon. He had been putting on his breathing apparatus and face mask when a window frame fell on his hand.

He was discharged from hospital earlier this week.

An Onehunga firefighter received a minor electric shock but is now back at work.

Newmarket Business Association general manager Cameron Brewer says it was the largest fire in Newmarket’s recent history.

"It was massive. All the buildings in that block were vacated," he says. "The terrifying thing was the smoke – you couldn’t actually see down Broadway.

"Khyber Pass came to a standstill. It couldn’t have come at a worse time. There were hundreds of onlookers standing at the bottom of Khyber Pass taking photos."

He says it’s devastating for The Den, "particularly when you consider it’s through no fault of their own".

"We really feel for the staff who have put their blood, sweat and tears into getting this business up and running."

Mr Brewer says the fire should be a wake-up call for landlords.

"I think it’s a timely reminder that landlords need to do all they can, not only to protect their asset but for the safety of their tenants and for their neighbouring buildings."

"The fire then spread from the wok into the ventilation duct above it."

The fire travelled up the vertical duct, through the adult shop and into the roof.

"We believe the ventilation duct had a layer of fat in it, which isn’t unusual.

"We believe that caught on fire and when the steel duct got hot enough it set fire to the wood in the roof and down into the adult shop."

While little damage is visible from the outside, inside the sex shop was gutted. The kitchen where the fire started suffered minor damage – a ruined ducting system and water damage from the firefighting at the floor above.

 ends

© Scoop Media