Photo credit: CFS
SA Police have issued a statement regarding yesterdays huge Adelaide Hills supermarket fire, saying “Following investigations two 14-year-old boys from the Adelaide Hills were arrested and will be charged with arson.
“They will be granted police bail and will appear the Mount Barker Youth Court at a later date.”
The major incident unfolded yesterday when a massive fire broke out at a Woolworths supermarket, also engulfing the Stirling Village shopping centre. The episode led to an immediate evacuation of shoppers from the scene.
Around 2pm, emergency services received alerts about a fire at Woolworths in the Stirling Village shopping centre. Swift action was taken, and the shopping centre was promptly evacuated.
While the fire department responded quickly after multiple alarms were triggered and triple 0 calls were made, with multiple crews working tirelessly at the scene to get the fire under control.
The CFS have posted tonight that 20 trucks and approximately 100 CFS firefighters are currently battling the blaze supported by the Metropolitan Fire Service, SA Police, SA Ambulance Service and SA Power Networks.
Fire Cause Investigators will return to the scene on Monday once it is safe to examine the scene. Mount Barker Road has now reopened with speed restrictions in place overnight.
The damage bill is expected to exceed 15 million dollars.
Crews managed to save a number of businesses within the shopping complex, which would have significantly increased the damage bill.
Photo credit: Brad Griffin
The ramifications of the fire were felt beyond just the shopping centre. A thick cloud of toxic smoke covered the town of Stirling, rendering the main street virtually invisible and necessitating its closure. Initial insights indicate that the fire began within the Woolworths supermarket, quickly spreading through its aisles and eventually reaching other stores in the centre.
No one has been injured and it’s believed that a number of neighbouring businesses in the shopping complex were saved which is a fantastic testament to the swift response by the CFS volunteers.
Smoke from the fire has had a significant impact on Mount Barker Rd and its adjoining streets. The CFS is recommending residents nearby should keep their doors and windows shut and preferably stay indoors.
Witnesses present at the scene reported hearing explosions coming from the centre.
Fire investigators have attended the scene and made an initial assessment of the area.
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