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A Sanson business is engulfed in flames as firefighters fight to prevent the blaze from spreading to the gas station next door.
Firefighters were called to Dundas Rd-State Highway 3, near the intersection with SH1, when Passionz Unique Imports and Home Decor caught fire at 5.15 p.m. Tuesday.
Fire & Emergency spokesman Murray Dunbar said the two-story building was well lit when the Bulls Volunteer Fire Brigade arrived minutes later.
Early reports indicated that one person was injured, but it was not clear how seriously, he said.
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Daniel Goodwin / Supplied
Firefighters were called to State Highway 3 in Sanson when Passionz Unique Imports and Home Decor was engulfed in flames at 5:15 p.m. Tuesday.
Police cordoned off the area and were diverting traffic around the city to give firefighters room to work.
Sanson’s man, Daniel Goodwin, saw the fire on his way home from work in Palmerston North.
“I saw a bit of smoke and in a couple of minutes the whole building was on fire.”
Goodwin and a couple more passersby ran up to Passionz and yelled and banged on windows to alert anyone still inside on the second floor.
He said they continued like this until a neighbor told them that the woman who owned Passionz and lived upstairs had gotten out safely.
DEVYN INKS / Supplied
Firefighters rushed to the blaze around 5:15 p.m. Tuesday.
By 5.40pm, several other brigades, including the air force, had sent reinforcements to fight the fire.
Goodwin said that around 6 p.m., firefighters were not moving very far.
“I think at this point they are just trying to keep the buildings next door safe … and prevent it from spreading to the fuel pumps at Caltex Truck Stop.”
