A devastated West Auckland community has described a fire at their local fruit shop as losing an institution.
Family-run Nola's Orchard has been operating at the same Oratia roundabout since 1935, and the shop has supported countless in the community.
Brian Nola, the store's owner, who lives behind the shop, woke up to panicked strawberry pickers banging on his door.
Mr Nola described the news as "terrible… terrible".
"We've been here since 1935. My mum and dad started this shop. My son Ivan - he's taking over from me."
Emergency services received multiple calls to the store just after 7am, where they were tasked with battling the blaze outside after the building’s roof collapsed, leaving them unable to get inside.
While an investigation is currently underway, the Nola's believe the fire was caused by an electrical fault.
No one was injured in the incident as the store was closed for the holiday period.
However, the news was devastating to the local community.
"The guys had blocked off the road and they said, 'Oh, the fruit shop,' and I thought, 'Oh no, not Nola's!' because it's more than just a fruit shop for people here. You don’t say, 'I’m going to the fruit shop', you say 'I'm going to Nola's,'" one local said.
"You just sit around, you meet people, [and] you see people in the community. I meet up with people that I haven't seen in years. It's just this little corner place. It's horrible that it's happened," another said.
However, the store isn't just a meeting place for locals - Nola's Orchard is also beloved for donating produce to local charities and community groups.
"They've been giving us veges and ingredients for our meals and been inspirational. It's such a great family," Henderson Baptist Church's Paul Tamaseu said.
While the store has shuttered its doors for now, the Nola's say it won’t be for long.
"We started off as a little roadside stall. Mum and dad would sell tomatoes at 6 pence a pound. From a roadside stall, it just developed. We’ll be back - bigger and better than ever," Mr Nola said.
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