‘ It’s gut- wrenching’, fire razes tip shop
TASMANIA Fire Service responded to two “suspicious” fires on Monday night, including one at South Hobart Tip Shop which is believed to have been deliberately lit.
Emergency services were alerted to the blaze at South Hobart Tip Shop at McRobies Gully just before 1am Monday by a nearby resident who was woken by a “loud banging”.
Crews from Hobart arrived to discover a large store shed at the rear of the Tip
Shop well alight. More crews and resources from Glenorchy and Clarence brigades later attended, using an aerial appliance to help extinguish the fire.
Police said a public tip- off led to an arrest. A youth was subsequently charged over the fire and “other matters”.
Police estimate the total damage bill to be more than $ 200,000. The building was believed to be unoccupied at the time of the fire and the full extent of the damage is not yet known.
Molly Kendall, co- ordina
tor of South Hobart Tip Shop told an ABC radio program that the incident was “gutwrenching” for those involved.
“Our electricals shed has been burnt. That is where we do our electrical processing and house our e- waste and our computer testing area as well,” she said.
Ms Kendall said the “big bang” heard by nearby residents was most likely the forklift’s gas bottle exploding.
“I’m very glad no fireys were in there when that happened because that would
have been very dangerous,” she said. “It’s just gut- wrenching to see your home- workplace smouldering – a very sad day for us.”
South Hobart Tip Shop is a not- for- profit, self- funded co- op widely recognised for its efforts in providing crisis employment and minimising waste.
Meantime, in the NorthWest, TFS was alerted to a house fire via a triple- 0 call at about 3.30am Monday.
The TFS investigator confirmed the fire, which “fully engulfed the house” on Simp
son St, was deliberately lit.
TFS extinguished the fire although the house was destroyed, with damage estimated between $ 250,000 and $ 300,000.
“Police would like to hear from anyone who has surveillance or CCTV footage in and around the Somerset area from around 2.50am to 3.30am, in particular any sighting of vehicles seen in the area at the time,” a police statement said.
Both incidents under investigation. remain