Yeperenye Shopping Centre evacuated for two hours due to electrical fire

A Sunday shop was thrown into chaos in the Red Centre – with some shoppers taking the drastic move of switching supermarket allegiances in order to get their groceries. Find out why.

Yeperenye Shopping Centre in Alice Springs was evacuated on Sunday, July 7, 2024. Picture: Gera Kazakov

A shopping centre right in the heart of Alice Springs was shut for hours on Sunday afternoon as firefighters responded to reports of smoke inside the building.

Yeperenye Shopping Centre was evacuated just after 3pm and did not reopen until 5pm as firefighters combed the building to determine the cause of the smoke.

A NT Police, Fire and Emergency Services spokesperson confirmed it was a “small electrical fire” which caused the building to be evacuated.

Northern Territory Fire and rescue service responding to the fire alarm at Yeperenye Shopping Centre, on Sunday. Picture: Gera Kazakov

“The fire produced a significant amount of smoke which activated fire alarms and subsequently self-extinguished,” the spokesperson said.

“As a precaution the shopping centre was evacuated.”

Hundred of shoppers and staff were sent out of the building, with one witness telling this masthead they had to abandon their groceries mid-shop and get out of there.

The witness said smoke could be seen inside in the building – even from the Woolworths – and that it seemed to originate from near the Telstra store.

The evacuation caused the more impatient Woolies shoppers to drop their allegiance and shop at Coles, the witness said.

Another witness, who worked for Woolworths, said it didn’t come from the Woolworths, believing the fire stemmed from the food court.

To pass the time while the firefighters went about their work, the Woolies workers tried to start a Mexican wave.

The one attempt NT News witnessed was unsuccessful.