Police are continuing to investigate an arson attack that damaged an Invercargill shopping complex.

Detective Ant King, of Invercargill CIB, released still images from a CCTV camera taken about the time the fire was started, in the hope it may lead to a break in the case.

CCTV footage from the Rosedale Food Centre in Salford St shows a person walking from the northern end of the shopping complex.

It shows a person in a hoodie walking along the pavement in front of the shops near the dairy before moving an advertising sign.

The time on the video is 3.35am on Wednesday. Fire crews and police responded to the blaze about 4am.

Mr King said the person caught on the CCTV was "a person of interest who could possibly help with the investigation".

Police want to identify the person outside the Rosedale Food Centre in Salford St about the time of the fire, he said.

The fire damaged the rear wall and roof area of the Rosedale Chinese Takeaways and caused significant smoke damage to the adjoining shops, including 4 Ever After Bridal that was filled with wedding gowns.

Owner Sarah Barker-McBurney could not be contacted yesterday but a post on her business Facebook page says "it had been an extremely stressful time".

She wrote that her brides were her current priority and asked customers to please bear with her.

"Thank u to all brides, past brides and friends and family for ur kind words and offers of help and support. Thankfully the least- damaged area of the shop is where we store our gowns and alter them," she wrote.

"All brides who have gowns in the shop and have weddings pending, we are treating and successfully salvaging gowns without any signs of damage or smoke or the smell of it. This is a timely process and is being done on order of wedding date priority and I will be in contact with u each individually soon. My stock gowns are a complete right off and I will be moving to temporary premises soon and will let you all know."

Mr King said police were also still investigating a second suspicious fire involving a four- wheel-drive vehicle in Albert St near Queens Drive about the same time as the shops were set alight.

The white Range Rover was extensively damaged and appeared to have been unlocked before the fire, Mr King said.