$100,000 damage in arson

Press, 10 October 1983, Page 9

$100,000 damage in arson

Friends and regular customers spent the week-end cleaning up the extensive fire damage caused by an arsonist at a Moorhouse Avenue boat dealer’s premises early on Saturday morning.

The fire at Sports Marine, Ltd, began about 3 a.m. on Saturday and had caused more than $lOO,OOO damage, said the owner, Mr I. A. Williamson, yesterday.

When he arrived at the premises, the “whole place was ablaze,” he said. The arsonist had forced the front door, and lit several fires in the workshop. Firemen prevented the fire from spreading to the front of the building, but it had gone right through the back,

where the most expensive motors and parts were.

A Christchurch C. 1.8. spokesman said yesterday that there was no doubt the fire was arson. He could not say how it was started, but there were a variety of accelerants available in the building. Police investigations would be fully under way after this morning, when assessors would inspect the damage. Mr Williamson said, “I can’t think of anyone who would do such a thing.” Among the damage caused by the fire was a Mercury 300 h.p. engine, valued at $16,000, the only one in the Southern Hemisphere as far as he knew.

A powerhead valued at $ll,OOO and one of only six in New Zealand was destroyed, with six new sterndrives, valued at $6OOO each. Many of the engines had recently been imported by air which had cost a substantial sum, as the total weight was 3% tonnes, said Mr Williamson. Included in the freight were many spare parts, ready for this month, the busiest trading month of the year.

Mr Williamson said he was insured, and would be ready to open for business again this morning.

“I had friends and about 10 regular customers who telephoned me on Saturday morning as soon as they heard about the fire,” he

said. “It was tremendous. They worked all of Saturday, and some of them today, so that most of the mess has been cleared up.” He said he hoped to be able to salvage something from the huge pile of damaged engines and parts, “but it is how much that is the problem.”