Fire Captain Earl Sharman said Glen Innes Police alerted them to the fire at about 11:30pm after they heard an alarm ring, went to investigate and saw flames at the rear of the building.

The police escorted six people who lived in the flat above Frank Parry Real Estate and Fancy That Fashions out of the premises.

There was a large volume of smoke and flames coming from the top of the building and within minutes of the two local fire units arriving the front windows smashed, Mr Sharman said.

“One unit worked from the front of the building and one at the rear. It was a good hour and a half before we had hold of the fire,” he said.

“We worked under extreme hazardous conditions initially with a shortage of manpower (until units from Guyra and Tenterfield and the RFS arrived), the boys did a terrific job in minimising damage to adjoining shops.”

Mr Sharman said it appeared as though the fire had started at the rear of Ambi’s Treasures (formerly a dry cleaning business). He said Ambi’s Treasures and Toxic Dreams had been destroyed and Fancy that Fashions severely damaged while Frank Parry Real Estate had water and fire damage to the rear of the building, Retravision had slight water damage and Sully’s Furniture had minor smoke damage.

Most of the business owners watched helpless as flames engulfed their stores early yesterday morning.

Fancy That Fashions store owner Melina Johnston said she had only just returned from Brisbane with new stock for Christmas. She said three rooms with thousands of dollars worth of stock had been destroyed.

“I felt sick, literally, it still hasn’t sunk in,” she said yesterday morning. “The fire just kept flaring up in different sections,” Mrs Johnston said.

Country Energy cut power to businesses from Peppermints Café along to Retravision. By 9:30 yesterday morning all but four shops had power restored.

Regional Manager Matt Patterson said there could be more power interruptions to nearby businesses. He said should the building be demolished, Country Energy would need to undertake significant work to reroute power around the area. Mr Patterson said Country Energy was currently working with Council to replace the outdated under awning power system and install padmount substations in Grey Street.