Vape Shop in Spring Hill destroyed in suspicious fire

CCTV has captured the moment a vape shop in inner city Brisbane was destroyed in a suspicious fire. WATCH THE VIDEO

Police are investigating a potentially “suspicious” fire at a vape shop in Brisbane after it went up in flames in the early hours of Monday morning.

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services were called to the Vape Shop on Wickham Terrace at Spring Hill about 1.30am to reports of fire and smoke coming from the shop.

Residents of a nearby building were evacuated as a result of the fire and it was extinguished by 1.50am.

The Vape Shop in Spring Hill was destroyed by fire early Monday morning.

A crime scene has been declared and investigators will return to the scene today.

Deanna Matthews, who owns Busy Beans cafe next door to the vape shop, said she didn’t know her business had been damaged until she arrived this morning.

“I’m in a bit of shock, I feel a bit overwhelmed and I don’t know what to do,” Ms Matthews said.

“The building manager informed me the tobacconist had been burnt down which has affected my cafe.

“So I have a lot of smoke damage and a bit of blackness on the roof and water everywhere and a lot of damage.”

Ms Matthew said she was saddened that she had to close her shop for a few days but was hoping by Wednesday it would reopen.

“The chemical smell is quite strong there” she said.

“I don’t even know where to begin. Where do you begin cleaning? And what do you claim? What do you do? Who do you speak to?

“Not only have they inconvenienced someone else’s business, but also the shop next to it.

“Two days’ trade is a massive loss for my business, for my customers.

“I have customers coming for their morning coffee and their breakfast. Yeah, so it’s affected everybody in this complex, not just that one shop.

“People don’t think of all the other shops then the one they want to wreck.”

The Spring Hill fire comes after several other “suspicious” fires in vape and tobacco shops this year.

Huff and Puff Tobacconist at Logan Central was allegedly “deliberately lit” on October 21.

In May, CT Tobacconist and Gift Shop in Crystal Water Shopping centre was torched on May 8.

In April, Ozzy Tobacconist and Vapes in Gympie was left in ruins after it was revealed two balaclava-clad people broke into the building with one carrying a jerry can.