By ALESHA CAPONE
A SUSPICIOUS fire has caused an estimated $1 million in damage to a St Albans furniture business.
Metropolitan Fire Brigade (MFB) and Country Fire Authority (CFA) crews were called to Beds on Collins in Gratz St just after 5am last Thursday.
Sixty fire fighters attended the scene, along with18 appliances, and the blaze was brought under control in less than an hour.
All crews entering the building wore breathing apparatuses due to the dense smoke.
The cause of the fire has been deemed suspicious and handed over to the police for investigation.
The family of Asip Demiri, who is also secretary of the St Albans Traders Association, has owned Beds on Collins for 18 years.
Mr Demiri said he received a phone call about the fire at around 6am and thought at first that perhaps the store’s bins were on fire.
“As I turned into the street, I have honestly never seen anything like it,” he said.
“There were fire trucks, cranes and everything.”
Another fire, at a Tullamarine factory, caused almost $100,000 damage last Tuesday night.
MFB officers were called to the caravan repair business, located within an industrial complex factory, in International Square.
Crews wearing breathing masks and the Airport Fire Service contained the fire before it could spread to any adjoining premises.
An MFB statement said damage caused by the blaze was initially estimated at approximately $100,000.
Anyone with information about the fires can contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
