Fired up over fire inquiry

Lengthy delays in investigating a fire that tore through a restaurant have infuriated a Taranaki insurance broker.

John Rae, of JRI, says he is disgusted police haven’t completed their inquiries into the fire at New Plymouth’s Cafe Istanbul, meaning his client can’t be cleared and paid out.

Firefighters were alerted to the blaze about 6am on July 2, by witnesses who heard alarms sounding and smoke billowing from the Devon St East business.

Owner Ismail Can was interviewed by police for five hours and Rae said despite there being no evidence that he was aware of to show his client was involved, police were still refusing to clear him.

‘‘It’s a very frustrating situation,’’ Rae said.

‘‘All we want is to get a written letter from the police saying that our client, Ismail Can, is not implicated in any way shape or form, in what is now being treated as arson in my opinion.’’

Matt Crabtree, Fire and Emergency New Zealand specialist investigator, said four days after the blaze, it appeared it had started in the alleyway between the buildings and was no longer being treated as suspicious.

At the time Crabtree said the fire had been deemed accidental but this week he said what had ignited it remained undetermined.

Rae said the insurance company wouldn’t pay out on the claim until Can was cleared as a suspect even though it’s had its own reports done by fire investigators.

He had even confronted Can himself to make sure he was 100 per cent clear before he made a stand.

‘‘I asked Ismail point blank, a couple of weeks ago, did you light the fire? Did you have any involvement with anybody lighting the fire?

‘‘The look on his face was that of disgust and horror that I would even ask him.’’

Rae said the police hadn’t given him an explanation why the investigation was dragging on.

‘‘They said they still have people to interview and CCTV footage to go through. They’ve had that footage for seven weeks.’’

Detective Sergeant Pat Yates wouldn’t answer questions about the investigation.

‘‘The police inquiry is open and it’s ongoing,’’ Yates said.

‘‘It would be inappropriate for me to comment about the police investigation at this stage.’’

Can was under extreme financial pressure because of the situation, which included not being able to access leased equipment that was undamaged in the blaze so he could return it, Rae said.

‘‘This man is struggling to keep his head above water.

‘‘The bills were racking up on this equipment because we couldn’t get it out.

‘‘To me it’s totally unfair, the delay this is taking is adding more undue pressure on my client.’’

Rae said while he hadn’t seen the insurance investigators’ reports he understood they had been very thorough and had included having electric motors, air conditioning, extractor fans and ducting checked.

He said he had been told the fire started in the alleyway, but couldn’t say any more, and believed there could have been numerous sources of ignition including a discarded cigarette butt.