Police investigating following bin fire in vacant shopping complex

Police are treating a fire at a popular shopping centre as suspicious after it was lit in a nearby empty complex. Read the details.

Emergency services respond to a bin fire at Willows Shopping Centre November 19 2024

A police investigation is under way at a popular shopping centre after a fire was lit in a nearby empty complex.

Emergency services were called to Willows Shopping Centre just before 8am on Tuesday morning after reports of a fire in the nearby vacant shopping complex.

Queensland Police Acting Inspector Matt Lyons said one fire crew was able to restrict the fire to one part of the building before extinguishing it.

“The Queensland Fire Service has had to cut the perimeter fence to gain entry to the building and they’ve located a bin that was on fire in one of the office shop complexes,” Mr Lyons said.

“This fire has been extinguished through forced entry to the premises there, and a perimeter check and an internal check of the buildings has failed to locate any persons.”

Emergency services respond to a bin fire at Willows Shopping Centre. Picture: Holly Fishlock

The acting inspector said the shops had been vacant for 12 months.

Townsville Criminal Investigations Branch will be reviewing CCTV footage to investigate the cause of the fire.

“At this stage, we’re treating it as suspicious until proven otherwise. They’re vacant buildings, no one should be in there,” Mr Lyons said.

No members of the community were harmed.

Police are urging anyone with information to contact crime stoppers or their local police station.

Originally published as Police investigating following bin fire in vacant shopping complex