Timber yard arson probe
POLICE are investigating an $800,000 deliberately lit blaze at a Launceston timber yard.
The fire broke out at Neville Smith Forest Products’ site at 10.40pm on Tuesday in an area where high-value specialty timber was racked, well away from the main entry to the yard on Remount Rd, Mowbray.
About 240 racks of airdried timber were destroyed.
Launceston CIB Detective Inspector John King indicated that police believed the fire was deliberately lit because it started in an area where no electricity was connected.
“Early indications are that it is a suspicious fire, there is not electricity to the seat of the fire so we will be taking certain samples and tests for accelerant to try and confirm that,” he said.
Forensic examination is being conducted by Tasmania Fire Service investigators and Tasmania Police.
“Our investigators will also be looking around for CCTV in the area and speaking to any of the neighbouring properties to see if they had any people present who may have seen any suspicious activity,” Insp King said.
He said staff would normally have been working at the yard at that time of night but were not there on Tuesday.
Neville Smith Forest Products chief executive Andrew Walker said he was dumbfounded at how such an intense fire could break out.
“It was a very cold, damp Launceston evening and it started on green timber that was drying in open air so was not very combustible,” he said. He said staff were on a once-ayear annual leave break. Launceston station officer Paul Catterall said fire crews had to cut locks on the main gate to gain entry about 10.50pm. The TFS was alerted to the fire by a flurry of 000 calls and the first units arrived within seven minutes. Mr Catterall said the fire was quite intense with flames leaping 5m over the 3m-high racks of timber. He said 11 units attended the blaze, some of which had depressed air foam capability to knock the fire down. The TFS said forklifts were used to remove high-value timber to help limit the spread of the flames. Tasmania Police urged anyone with information in relation to the fire, or who saw anyone acting suspiciously in the area, to contact Crime Stoppers anonymously on 1800 333 000 or crimestopperstas.com.au.