Two teenagers have been charged with arson after a large fire destroyed part of a supermarket in Adelaide yesterday.
Shoppers and staff were forced to flee when a ball of flames erupted in the aisles of Woolworths in the Adelaide Hills town of Stirling about 2pm.
The damage bill has already climbed to at least $25 million, as the extent of the blaze is revealed.
Nearly 100 firefighters tackled the fire, which had flames so intense they pierced through parts of the roof of the popular grocery store.
One staff member was working just metres from where it erupted.
"All the alarms went off - blaring - and I can see the column of flames shoot right up," Woolworths employee Leela said.
Staff and customers were all evacuated safely and no one was injured.
However, it look firefighters hours to bring the fierce blaze under control, tackling it from the ground and above.
Today, two boys, both aged 14, were arrested and charged with arson.
They have been granted bail to appear at Mount Barker Youth Court in December.
Fire cause investigators are still working to determine the cause of the blaze, however some witnesses suggested the teens were playing with aerosol cans.
In a statement, Woolworths said "all team members and customers were evacuated from the store safely.
"We would like to express our thanks to the emergency services who are on the scene."
