New World Victoria Park fire: Foodstuffs confirms all stock and food will be dumped

All food and stock inside the fire-devastated New World Victoria Park supermarket will be disposed of in line with expert health and safety advice.

Foodstuffs North Island said no products could be safely salvaged because of the intensity of Tuesday’s fire and the huge volume of water used to extinguish it, along with the spread of thick smoke, heat and potential chemical exposure.

Foodstuffs North Island chief executive Chris Quin said the fire created conditions in which no item in the store could be assumed safe to consume or use.

“The fire was extensive, and conditions inside the store during the blaze were highly variable.

“Some stock - particularly those stored higher up or near flammable items like fly sprays - were visibly fire-damaged, but even food stored lower down has been exposed to heat, smoke, water and potentially harmful contaminants.

“Safety is absolutely our top priority.

“For that reason, everything in the store will be removed and disposed of as soon as it is safe for our teams to do so.”

Quin said nothing could be repurposed or donated for consumption.

“We will determine whether any materials can be safely recycled after a rigorous safety assessment.”

The wellbeing of the 189 team members at New World Victoria Park remained a key focus, he said.

A programme was in place to support them through what had been a distressing time.

“Every team member will continue to receive weekly pay, and we’re working on redeployment options at nearby Foodstuffs stores while we look at the next steps for the site.

“We’ve made people and resources available to support the wellbeing of our team during this tough time, whether that’s someone to talk to, helpful tools, or advice on looking after themselves.

“These team members are at the heart of our store, and we’re committed to being there for them every step of the way.”

Investigations into the cause of the fire continue.

Customers were forced to drop their shopping and leave the store when the fire alarm sounded at 11.18am on Tuesday.

Some were unable to retrieve their vehicles from the underground carpark.

Police later collected keys from those affected, and on Tuesday afternoon firefighters were seen driving cars out of the carpark.

With more than 20 fire engines sent to the five-alarm fire, more than 80 firefighters were needed to control the fire and eventually put it out.

The owners of the store are working through what’s needed to get back into business.

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