A VICIOUS fire that gutted a business in Pearson Street early on Wednesday morning has been labelled a “cowardly” act of vandalism.
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Police are hunting for an arsonist after a suspicious blaze tore through Wagga Bricks and Roofing’s office around 2am and dealt between $300,000 and $500,000 in damages.
Shop manager Peter Sedunary visited the site on Thursday, grieving over the charred wreckage that was once his greatest accomplishment.
He said despite the prominence of deliberately-lit fires in Wagga, he never thought he would be affected .
“There’s been a few businesses around that have had break-ins but they’ve just chosen to come after us this time,” he told The Daily Advertiser.
“I’m pretty depressed, it’s just such a ludicrous and senseless thing to do.
“We didn’t even have anything to steal, but yet they’ve just totally destroyed everything.”
Mr Sedunary was awoken in the early hours of the morning by a call from his security control centre, advising him an alarm system had been activated.
“It was a huge shock,” he said.
“I knew something was wrong immediately.”
Turvey Park Fire and Rescue reportedly arrived at the fire within six minutes of receiving a triple-0 call, but were still unable to salvage the property.
Station commander Jeff Edwards said authorities believed the perpetrators broke in through a window at the back of the business.
“The fire is under investigation, with officers locating signs of forced entry at the rear of the premises and a number of upturned files and cabinets,” he said.
“We were there within minutes and yet the flames were already through the roof.
“This affects the community in terms of the businesses employees, clients and the community’s sense of security.”
The blaze was brought under control within 45 minutes, with the 16 firefighters in attendance remaining on scene for another two hours.
Authorities revealed the property was insured, but its owners will likely be slugged a hefty excess fee.
The overseeing insurance provider will scour the debris for clues in the coming days to further investigate the circumstances of the fire.
Police conducted forensic tests early on Wednesday.