A fire that caused $800,000 damage at the Neville Smith Forest Products operation in Tasmania was deliberately lit, police say. Source: ABC News
The Tasmania Fire Service (TFS) received multiple triple-0 calls about 10:00pm on Tuesday and went to the Remount Road property in Mowbray to find fire had broken out in a row of timber racks.
Up to 10 crews worked through the night and into Wednesday morning to fight the blaze which has been contained.
Wood is still smouldering, but fire crews have handed over the area to the business managers to handle.
An intense fire had engulfed 240 racks of timber in the middle of the yard. Police said a TFS investigation had been completed and it was determined the fire was deliberately lit.
Owner James Neville Smith, who is currently overseas, told ABC Radio Hobart early in the day that police suspected the fire was arson.
“The police and arson squad are on site right now and the fire is considered suspicious,” he said.
Mr Neville Smith said despite the scale of the fire, his business could continue to operate.
Neville Smith Forest Products (NSFP) employs about 50 people whose jobs will not be impacted by the fire, he said.
The business was once a Gunns operation until NSFP took over in 2011.
“There is no damage to the plant and equipment, so business can continue,” he said.
“We have lost a lot of air-dried stock.
“The volume of timber lost and the value is significant but unquantifiable at this early stage. Thankfully no one was hurt.”
Mr Neville Smith was grateful firefighters moved timber by forklift to limit the spread of the blaze.
“The fire department and management did a brilliant job isolating the fire and removing as many racks of timber as possible from being destroyed,” he said.
