Off duty firemen rushed to the scene where they found the kitchen in flames.

“Luckily the sprinkler system kicked in and flooded the kitchen before any real damage could be done,” Middelburg Mall Manager, Mr Mike Tammadge, told the Middelburg Observer on Monday.

The single gas cylinder spewed flames around 21:30, spurring Gold Rush patrons to flee in all directions.

“Off duty firemen, who heard about the explosion, arrived on the scene ahead of their colleagues on duty,” Mr Tammadge told the Observer.

One of the firemen immediately rushed into the kitchen, where he grabbed the gas cylinder and ran outside, where a trash bin filled with cold water was waiting.

Meanwhile mall security helped evacuate the casino in an orderly fashion.

The firemen rushed back in to disconnect the remaining gas cylinders, and cool them in cold water baths too.

No one was injured and damage was limited to the kitchen.

“We expect the kitchen to be up and running by Monday afternoon,” Mr Tammadge confirmed, adding that the off duty firemen stunned everyone with their bravery.

In event of a gas fire, the cylinder’s gas feed must be turned off immediately, and the cylinder placed in a bath of cold water.

“It is relatively safer than allowing the cylinder to explode due to heat,” a fireman told the Observer on the scene.

Apparently the gas ignited due to a faulty nozzle, which sprang a leak.