A volunteer firefighter reported to have been seriously injured while fighting a liquor-store fire in central Wairoa on Sunday was discharged after a check-up at Wairoa Hospital.

The firefighter suffered no physical injury, said Wairoa Volunteer Fire Brigade deputy chief fire officer Te Aroha Cook.

About 40 full-time and volunteer firefighters battled the blaze at Wairoa Wines and Spirits.

They included about half of the town’s volunteer fire brigade.

The Wairoa fire station, about 250 metres from the scene of Sunday's liquor store fire.

The fire, starting in a chiller in premises that were originally a motor vehicle dealership, on the corner of Paul and Lucknow Sts, was reported at 8.38am.

Volunteer firefighters from Wairoa, Nūhaka and Manutūkē were joined by members of a Fire and Emergency NZ swift-water rescue team and other personnel already in town as a precaution for the weekend storm, and by professionals from Gisborne and Napier.

An aerial appliance from Napier, with four crew on a 118km trip of just under two hours, put out the fire in the roof after iron had been peeled back.

A fire at a Wairoa store closed a section of State Highway 2. Photo / Wairoa Incorporated Winc

The last crew was able to leave the shop just after 1pm.

A section of State Highway 2 through the town was closed to traffic with a detour in place for more than two hours during the alert.

Doug Laing is a Hawke’s Bay Today reporter based in Napier, with more than 40 years’ experience covering news events and issues throughout the region.