A large blaze that erupted in Carterton overnight has shocked the small community after local businesses were severely damaged in the flames.
A building on High St South, Carterton's main strip, was fully involved in fire when emergency services arrived shortly after midnight.
It's understood the affected building contains two businesses, Carterton Food Market and Midway Barber Shop, Stuff reports.
Fire and Emergency shift manager Murray Dunbar confirmed the three-alarm fire caused "severe damage" to the building.
Appliances were deployed from Greytown, Masterton, Hutt Valley and Palmerston North, he told Newshub. Around 45 crew members attended to battle the blaze and remained there until about 4am. Some stayed overnight to monitor the scene, with a team returning on Thursday morning to dampen any hotspots.
A fire investigator is also at the scene to determine the cause of the blaze, Dunbar said.
The owner of the building, Dan Broughton, told Stuff although the property is insured, the fire is particularly disappointing as a lot of money had been recently spent bringing it up to earthquake standard.
"The building is not in great shape, it could be a lot worse, hopefully repairable," he told the outlet. 'The worst thing is that businesses are affected. I guess it's an opportunity to rebuild and do some things better."
Carterton Mayor Greg Lang told Stuff the town is going through “massive change” due to earthquake legislation. He said the fire is devastating for the small businesses, who are already coping with earthquake-prone buildings and the impacts of COVID-19.
A number of residents have shared footage of the fire to Facebook, with many expressing shock and sadness at last night's events.
"So sad to see it this morning," said one.
"Gave us all a fright to wake up to that," said another.
"Oh my gosh, so sad he was just doing his shop up [too] so sad," a third wrote.
In an update to the community Facebook group Carterton Notice Board early on Thursday morning, the town's volunteer fire brigade confirmed the blaze has been extinguished.
"Crews will remain on site for some time yet to dampen down and ensure there are no flare-ups," the brigade said.
Locals are advised to keep clear of the scene due to significant debris.
