Business blaze a blow for owner

A MAN watched his new business go up in flames, as well as the thousands of dollars' worth of equipment, following a suspected arson on Wednesday night.

Police cordon off the area surrounding a suspected arson on a business in North Bundaberg.

A MAN watched his new business go up in flames, as well as the thousands of dollars' worth of equipment he had just installed, following a suspected arson on Wednesday night.

Firefighters were called to the blaze just before midnight but Bundaberg acting station officer Stephen James said the structure was well alight when the two crews arrived.

“The building is gutted inside,” he said.

The business, located on the corner of Gavin and Kolan streets, is formerly Edgar's Printers Station and was sold to the Hervey Bay-based Sticker Company less than a fortnight ago.

The building's new owner, Chris Kruger, said he received the news just after midnight.

“It was a pretty gut-wrenching call to get,” he said.

Mr Kruger had installed expensive new equipment, including a new digital printing press and security monitoring system just hours before the blaze.

“I don't think those things will be covered by insurance,” he said.

“I'm not holding any hope.”

The devastated owner said only the structure had survived the flames.

“What the fire didn't get, the water did,” he said.

“Ironically, the insurance from the last business ran out on Wednesday afternoon.”

The fire is only the beginning of the dilemma, with the building being fitted with asbestos.

“That will be another problem because it will have to be fenced and kept wet,” Mr Kruger said.

The business will still be trading but has lost plenty of projects as a result of the fire.

“A lot of work went up in smoke,” Mr Kruger said.

Former owner Robert Edgar said he felt sorry for the new holder.

“I feel very sorry that his new enterprise in Bundaberg has been interrupted by this tragic fire,” he said.

“It's senseless for anyone to do this.”

Mr Edgar owned the family run business for 34 years.

“I spent more than 30 years of my life there and it's sad for it to go this way,” he said.

Police are investigating.

Originally published as Business blaze a blow for owner