Alice Springs Hosetech owner Andrew Mowles pushing on after premises gutted in blaze
An Alice Springs business owner says a blaze has left his shop looking like a ‘nuclear bomb’s gone off’ – but he’s ‘not even thinking of myself’ as he shares a major update.
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An Alice Springs business owner says he’s “not even thinking of myself” as he picks up the pieces from a fire which gutted his shop – leaving it like a “nuclear bomb’s gone off”.
On Monday, Alice Springs Hosetech owner Andrew Mowles said the business was still operating despite his shop being destroyed in a blaze on Friday.
The fire started just after 6am – only hours after Mr Mowles said he was last there.
“I was here at midnight getting one of my trucks and I didn’t see anything then,” he said.
On Sunday, the fire again flared up, he said, but on Monday morning it appeared to be totally extinguished.
“It’s still a crime scene,” he said.
“We got in, they let us get into our safe, because we had a safe with truck keys ... but we got in there and I had a look.
“My head was on a swivel, and yeah, it’s like a nuclear bomb’s gone off.
“The fireys brought out a bit of brass for us. They said it’s like 900C to get it melted like that”.
On Friday morning, Larapinta Dr in Alice Springs was closed as firefighters battled the blaze at the business, located next to the main road at the end of the George Crescent cul-de-sac.
Mr Mowles said he had not been told the cause of the blaze but said it was not arson.
Investigators were “leaning towards” the fire being an electrical fire, he said.
He said his business would relocate to a shop on Smith St as he focused on keeping his 18 employees in work.
“I’m not even thinking of myself,” he said.
“I’m trying my hardest to keep them (the staff) going, keep the town (going), keep the business.”
With three trucks saved from the blaze, Mr Mowles said he was now dealing with a “double whammy” of road closures due to the wet weather.
He thanked those in the community who had supported him so far, and asked for patience as he got his business back on track.
An NT Worksafe spokesperson said the information the agency had received indicated the fire started when the business was closed on Friday morning.
“If the first responders determine that the incident may be work related or the fire was potentially caused by an electrical fault, they will refer the matter to NT WorkSafe,” they said.
“The business also has the duty to notify if it is identified that the incident was out of the conduct of their business.”
NT Police, Fire, and Emergency Services spokesperson said investigations into the cause of the fire were ongoing.
“Investigators are still waiting to gain access to the building. This will not occur until the building is declared safe,” the spokesperson said.
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Originally published as Alice Springs Hosetech owner Andrew Mowles pushing on after premises gutted in blaze
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