How I’d love to be like the calm shopper in the Stirling Woolies supermarket fire | Bec Whitfield-Baker

As the Woolies in Stirling exploded into flames, one man stayed calm and kept paying for his groceries – and his chilled out reaction has sparked debate.

Are you a stiff-upper-lip, keep-calm-and-carry-on sort of person when crisis strikes or more akin to a headless-chicken, panic-merchant?

Without question I am the second of the two; it often amazes me I’ve managed motherhood at all, somehow getting my accident-prone kids through to their late teenage years amid gashed-open knees, head whacks from wayward cricket balls, trampoline mishaps, swimming pool accidents and overzealous living room wrestling bouts.

Truth be told, it is probably just lucky that there’s been a serene, clear-thinking adult nearby – either in person or over the phone – when the most serious of incidents have taken place to coolly take control or calmly talk me through what I’ve needed to do.

I’m the sort most likely to freeze on the spot as the blood gushes out of my child’s knee, head or other body part unhelpfully hyperventilating and crazily muttering “OMG. OMG. OMG … that DOESN’T look good.”

I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have reacted well had I been caught in the shocking Stirling shopping centre fire drama at the weekend.

This shopper is seen scanning his items at the self-serve checkout, despite the fire engulfing the shop.

Certainly not like the composed shopper at the self-serve station who continued to scan – and presumably pay – for his groceries amid the unfolding chaos as the fire alarm rang out and the flames engulfed an aisle.

More than 100 firefighters battled the blaze after crews were called to Woolworths at the Stirling Village shopping centre about 2.15pm on Sunday, following reports a fire ignited in the aisles.

The centre was evacuated with bystanders reporting explosions, along with large black billowing plumes of smoke.

Thank goodness, despite the utter destruction caused and the rippling heartache to local businesses to follow, no one was seriously injured.

I first heard about it while on the sidelines of cricket with the opposition scorer sharing the unlikely news that her local, Adelaide Hills supermarket had gone up in smoke after a fire started in the aisles.

Do you know who the calm shopper in the Stirling Woolies supermarket fire was? Contact us below.

Her husband had texted her to let her know. She was dumbfounded by the information but I’ve got to say her stoicism – and ability not to miss a run – in the face of the mind-boggling revelation was impressive.

Grocery shopping is my least favourite chore at the best of times, let alone in a shock-to-the-system alternate universe of a fire zone while midway through the back-to-school shop, looking for budget buys to fill school lunch boxes and serve as weeknight dinners.

Perhaps, attention was drawn to a tired, frazzled-looked parent trying to calm down a screaming, kicking toddler in full tantrum mode after being told a firm “No” to a chocolate or toy.

The wreckage of the Stirling Village Shopping centre after it was gutted by fire at the weekend.

Or, a sniffling, coughing shopper swapping grapes out of one bag into another, leaving an unsuspecting customer to later pick up the bag with the relegated fruit.

Whatever the Sunday supermarket happenings, there’s no-one who would have anticipated a sudden fireball to erupt – likely not even the teenagers alleged to have started it.

Blessed as we are, to live where we do, it is just such an unexpected, hard-to-comprehend scenario.

The charred remains of Woolies. Photo: Naomi Jellicoe

Chances are good I’d have frozen on the spot, my slow-moving brain trying to work out what in the world was going on; I’d have been grateful for a hearty prod from a shopper to get me on the move.

One thing is for sure, once I’d realised the shop was on fire I’d have ditched my trolley and got out of there as fast as I could.

Not so the aforementioned male shopper, clad in jeans and a black hoodie, who calmly finishes his shopping, seemingly unperturbed by what is happening around him.

The vision has got our office talking about what they’d do in the same situation.

Most agree, while they’d be dropping their basket and running, they’re pretty impressed by the man caught on camera, intent on completing – and paying for – his grocery shop.

Others admit they’d make their getaway with groceries in hand, paid for or not.

Adelaide clinical psychologist Dr Tom Nehmy says an individual’s “instinctive, automatic response may well be at odds with how we’d react if we had time to think things through”.

“Human beings are extremely varied in their nature and personality and we can’t always accurately predict how anyone is going to react in the face of a trauma … shouldn’t necessarily judge how people respond in the heat of the moment,” he says.

As for me, I just think I’m not good in a crisis. Sorry kids.