New Zealand: Asbestos slows down arson investigation

Asbestos slows down arson investigation

Auckland, New Zealand - Fire investigators have started to suspect that the fire which occurred at the Auckland Mitre 10 store in Onehunga on Monday was a case of arson and not an electrical fire as was originally believed. However, confirmation of that asbestos is present in the building's rubble is slowing down the investigation according to a fire safety officer.

Officer Russell Dickson said it turns out that due to the fire, the store is now contaminated three types of asbestos. He said it was expected that asbestos was present within the walls of a building as old as this one, but the material wasn't a safety risk until its fibers were released by the flames. Everyone working on site is required to wear full protective gear, and the environmental workers are working to keep the site damp to prevent fibers from becoming airborne and spreading.

Investigators have interviewed store staff members since and now have a better understanding of what was going on the store up until the fire began. After piecing the information together, investigators think the blaze started when a rack of umbrellas caught fire, an incident they believe was caused intentionally.

The flames were able to spread quickly due to the presence of other store items including barbeques, campping equipment and gas bottles. Due to the suspicious nature of the fire, investigators have handed the case over to the police.

However, police officers say they doubt that anything that could help them with the investigation, such as security cameras, survived the fire which completely destroyed the building.

The store's owner, saddened by the loss, said he will continue conducting business from a makeshift store by the weekend.

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