Fire investigators verdict on Cairns auto workshop fire

Fire investigators from Queensland Fire and Emergency Services reveal what they believe caused the blaze which ripped through Croft Auto workshop on Sheridan St, North Cairns on Tuesday.

THE cause of a fire which destroyed well-known Cairns automotive workshop, Croft Auto, on Sheridan St, on Tuesday morning has been deemed “not suspicious”.

On Wednesday, a Queensland Fire and Emergency Service (QFES) representative said their fire investigators had found that the blaze which destroyed Croft Auto around 3.45am on May 31, “not suspicious”.

“The fire’s cause looks like it was electrical,” the representative said.

“Fire investigators have deemed the fire as not suspicious.”

The QFES representative’s comments came as a police representative said their fire investigators had been working closely with their firefighting counterparts.

It was understood that the fire which caused the metal workshop to collapse presented a number of challenges to fire investigators.

It is understood that Australian Federal Police whose office is situated across the road from Croft Auto may have supplied CCTV to investigators.

On Monday QFES Acting Inspector Andrew Beck said he felt that fire investigators may not be able to access the property “for a few hours” due to hot spots.

It is understood that at least seven vehicles were in the workshop at the time.

The full cost of the damage cause by the fire is not yet known.

Meanwhile, a mechanic from Croft Auto has created a Go Fund Me page to benefit the staff and customers whom he said have “lost everything.”

As the article went to print $1450 had been raised from the $30,000 target.

The post read: “Hello, my name is Jude and I’m fundraising on behalf of all the mechanics that work at Croft Auto in Cairns. A small local business.

“We have lost everything to a workshop fire that started in the early hours of the morning.

“Tools, customers’ cars, personal items, products, paperwork, computers, everything. 100% of the money raised will go towards people affected. Customers and staff.”

Another employee, Gabe Ephraims also posted a link to the GoFundMe page.

“As most of you are now aware Croft Auto which was my daily my place of work has burnt to the ground, one of the lads has created this page to help the boss out, Graeme Croft is a very nice bloke and all the lads that work there are tiptop humans.

“This is going towards helping Graeme and the boys, they have all lost all their tools and jobs in this freak accident.

“We are all safe and lucky we were all only on our way to work and not in the building.

“Please share and give a bit. Cheers.”

Originally published as Fire investigators verdict on Cairns auto workshop fire