$3m inferno destroys popular Port Rd business after equipment overheats but owner vows to rebuild his three decade-old firm
Signlab owner Corey Simpson has vowed to rebuild his business of more than 30 years after an accidental fire left a damage bill of at least $3m.
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A massive blaze that accidentally started from an electrical fault or overheating equipment has left a damage bill of more than $3m, authorities say.
Emergency services battled the inferno that engulfed the Signlab building at 222 Port Rd, Alberton, after locals reported smelling burning plastic just after 9pm on Monday.
Fre cause investigators late on Tuesday concluded the blaze accidental that was believed to have occurred from an electrical fault or overheating of manufacturing equipment.
The damage bill is at least $3m, the Metropolitan Fire Service said.
Vowing to rebuild, business owner Corey Simpson, 52, of Alberton, said he was “devastated at the moment” by the fire, particularly for his team who could not “come to work.”
Mr Simpson, who has owned the business for more than 30 years, said Signlab workers rallied together on Monday night, after they were notified of the blaze that spewed toxic smoke across Adelaide’s northwest.
“Everyone was here which was unbelievable … I didn’t expect that,” he said.
Mr Simpson said he was grateful to emergency services for their efforts in both battling the blaze and investigating the cause of the fire.
“They’ve been unbelievable,” he said.
“They’re so thorough, I just can’t thank them enough.
“They’re here now investigating to see what (and) how it all happened.”
Mr Simpson, who helped start the firm in 1992, said he’d received an outpouring of support from other companies and plans to bounce back to business as soon as possible so existing employees will not lose their jobs.
“I’ve got a lot of other signing companies supporting me, one has actually offered for me to move in to his premises,” he said.
“This is not going to stop us, that’s for sure.”
Locals said they heard a “loud bang” about 9:40pm followed by a series of smaller blasts that rattled their windows about half an hour after the initial blaze.
Local resident Tony Hanson, who lives in the area, said his partner first heard the explosion before fire crews arrived at the scene.
“She actually heard crackling,” he said.
“Then the big bang … that was the one that got her out of bed to have a look.
“The fire was crazy, just about twice as high as a building, I couldn’t believe it.
“So it must have taken hold real quick.”
Around 75 MFS firefighters, from 22 trucks, managed to control the blaze in an hour, but the building was totally destroyed.
Numerous cars were also damaged in the fire as the building’s walls and roof collapsed.
The incident caused smoke to drift south across the area.
Local residents are being urged to keep windows and doors closed and to avoid the area while crews remain at the scene.
As the fire ripped through the building, an MFS emergency responder dispersed onlookers amid fears it might contain asbestos.
Police said residents in nearby streets were evacuated from their homes as a precaution, with one resident treated by emergency workers for minor injuries.
“It’s just total devastation,” former Port Adelaide Mayor Gary Johanson, who witnessed the blaze, told FIVEaa.
He said it was “sad” because the business was popular and well established within the area.
MFS Acting Chief Fire Officer Greg Howard said on Tuesday the cause of the fire was not suspicious.
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