Firefighters across Dunedin were kept busy yesterday morning after being called to two fires within a minute of each other.
Shoppers and staff at Meridian Mall were evacuated at 8.38am when Fire and Emergency New Zealand appliances from Dunedin Central and Roslyn fire stations were called to a fire in a deep fat fryer at Burger King.
A Fenz spokesman credited good fire-safety equipment for preventing what could have been a catastrophic fire.
"It was extinguished by [Burger King] staff with the use of a fire blanket and the sprinkler system, which worked extremely well. It prevented a greater catastrophe.
"It made our job very much easier."
The mall remained closed for about 45 minutes while firefighters cleaned up inside and cleared smoke.
He said that a minute later, at 8.39am, fire appliances from St Kilda and Lookout Point were called to a garage fire in Rewa St, Musselburgh.
"When we got there, we found a car on fire in the garage. It was extinguished by a couple of firemen wearing breathing apparatus, using one hose."
He said neither fire was being treated as suspicious.
