$4 million up in flames overnight in the North West

A fire at a civil construction business near in the state’s North West has caused millions in damage. LATEST >>

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A FIRE at a civil construction business near Smithton in Tasmania’s far North West has caused about $4 million damage.

Luckily a caretaker asleep on site was woken and evacuation by fire crews and was not injured.

The Tasmania Fire Service said an investigation into the blaze on Wednesday morning was ongoing.

Fire investigators on scene at a burnt shed in Forest which causes $4 million damage to a local construction company. Picture: Helen Kempton.

TFS received a triple-0 calls about the fire, at CCG Civil Construction and Gravel in Mengah Rd, from a passing milk truck driver at about 3am.

Crews from Forest, Smithton, Stanley and Burnie arrived and found a shed alight.

“The fire was extremely intense,” a TFS spokesman said.

Firefighters then worked to stop the fire spreading to adjoining buildings.

It was still burning under the debris on Wednesday afternoon and a snorkel was used to reach hot spots.

Fire investigators on scene at a burnt shed in Forest which causes $4 million damage to a local construction company. Picture: Helen Kempton.

The TFS said a person living on site was asleep when the fire broke out and not aware there was any danger.

He was woken and evacuated by fire crews.

The shed contained mining, manufacturing equipment and irrigation equipment along with timber and gravel supplies.

The TFS said none of that material was highly combustible.

The fire also spread to adjoining timber piles outside the shed.

No cause for the fire has yet been determined.

A TFS spokesman said the last fire of a similar scale occurred at Reliquaire in Latrobe in December, 2015.