‘This business kept them on their feet’: Community reels after Christies Beach Wonderbox fire

A popular vintage shop in Adelaide’s south has been completely destroyed by a second suspicious fire in just three weeks.

A community in Adelaide’s south has rallied behind a popular business that was completely destroyed by a suspicious fire.

Wonderbox, a shop on Beach Rd, Christies Beach, was set alight early on Thursday morning, fire crews alerted to the suspicious blaze about 3.15am.

Two residents living at the back of the business attempted to battle the fire before firefighters arrived, but were evacuated to safety.

Despite 35 firefighters working to extinguish the blaze the entire Wonderbox shop was destroyed.

Popular Christies Beach vintage store Wonderbox has been completely destroyed after a suspicious blaze on Thursday morning. Picture: 7News

A GoFundMe started by one of the shop owners’ sons, Cooper Wojtasik, was started to help raise the business from the ashes.

“Due to this tragedy they (the owners) are going to give up, they don’t deserve to just give up on something they are so passionate about,” he wrote.

Mr Wojtasik’s mum Kylie Shortridge and her friend Brenda McDermott have had their shop targeted twice in the span of three weeks.

Petrol was poured onto the shop’s air conditioning unit and set alight two weeks ago. After Thursday morning’s fire, there’s little left of the shop.

“It is completely burnt down and all of the shop’s stock and almost everything is gone,” Mr Wojtasik wrote.

Christies Beach vintage store Wonderbox before it was burnt down in a suspicious fire. Picture: Google Maps

“These two put their heart and soul into this business. They worked so hard and stayed so, so consistent, they put everything into the shop and now it’s gone.

“This business was their income, how they fed their kids, paid their bills, and this business kept them on their feet.”

Mr Wojtasik hopes to raise $8000 to help his mother and her friend, and their well-loved business.

Speaking to 7News on Thursday, Ms Shortridge said she and Ms McDermott “couldn’t believe it”.

“It’s just awful,” she said.

“We had so much stuff in that shop, stuff that we had handmade ourselves, vintage stuff, old radios, just things that you can’t replace.”

Damages from the fire are estimated at $800,000. No arrests have been made.

Any witnesses or anyone who knows more about the incident has been asked to contact Crime Stoppers.

Originally published as ‘This business kept them on their feet’: Community reels after Christies Beach Wonderbox fire