South Hobart Tip Shop set alight in midnight blaze

Tasmania Fire Service are investigating two “suspicious” fires across the state which have caused serious damage to businesses and property. LATEST PHOTOS, VIDEO >>

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TASMANIA Fire Services have responded to two fires overnight including one at the South Hobart Tip Shop which is believed to be deliberately lit.

Emergency Services were alerted to the blaze at the South Hobart Tip Shop in McRobies Gully just before 1am by a nearby resident who was woken by a “loud banging” just before midnight.

South Hobart Tip Shop fire. Picture Chris Kidd

Crews from Hobart arrived to discover a large store shed at the rear of the main Tip Shop well alight.

More crews and resources from the Glenorchy and Clarence brigades later attended, using the aerial appliance to continue to help extinguish the fire.

Fire has destroyed the popular South Hobart Tip Shop overnight. Photo: Hobart City Council

Tasmania Police said a public tip off led to an arrest. A youth was subsequently charged in relation to the fire and “other matters”.

Fire at the South Hobart Tip Shop. Photo: Cas Garvey

Tasmania Police estimate the total damage bill to be in excess of $200,000. The building was believed to be unoccupied at the time of the inferno.

The total extent of the damage is not yet known.

Molly Kendall, the co-ordinator of the South Hobart Tip Shop told Ryk Goddard’s ABC Breakfast program that the incident was “gut-wrenching” for those involved.

“Our electricals shed has been burnt – that is where we do our electrical processing and house our e-waste, and our computer testing area as well,” she said.

Molly Kendall who works at the South Hobart Tip Shop. Photograph Eddie Safarik

Ms Kendall said the “big bang” heard by nearby residents was most likely the forklift’s gas bottle exploding.

“I’m very glad no fireys were in there when that happened because that would have been very dangerous,” she said.

“It’s just gut-wrenching to see your home workplace smouldering – a very sad day for us.”

South Hobart Tip Shop fire. Picture Chris Kidd

In the state’s North West, Tasmania Fire Service was alerted to a house via triple-0 at about 3:30am.

Fire at Somerset in Tasmania's North West

Crews remain on scene fighting to extinguish a home described by TFS as “fully alight”.

Both incidents remain under investigation.

Police confirmed the fire, which “fully engulfed the house” on Simpson St, was suspicious.

Tasmania Fire Service extinguished the fire with the house completely destroyed.

“Police would like to hear from anyone who has surveillance or CCTV footage in and around the Somerset area from around 2.50am to 3.30am, in particular any sighting of vehicles seen in the area at the time,” a statement from Burnie Crime Investigations Bureau read.

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