Cause of devastating blaze may remain a mystery

By JOEL FORD
The cause of a fire that destroyed a Tauranga furniture restoration business at the weekend may never been known, the Fire Service says.
Cartmill and Parish on Courtney Rd in Gate Pa burned down late on Saturday night in the biggest blaze in the Western Bay so far this year.
Firefighters took five hours to contain the inferno, which reached temperatures of 800C and was hot enough to melt steel girders.
The fire destroyed the many pieces of furniture being restored there and left business owners Mike and Claire Ryan without a building to work out of.
Fire safety officer Ken McKeagg said an investigation had revealed the blaze started in the back near a spray booth but it was not known what had started it.
"There was nothing there to ignite it. We are obviously missing something because fires just don't start themselves," he said.
Mr McKeagg said the intensity and size of the fire had made it difficult to find evidence and there was a good chance the cause may never be confirmed.
"The damage is so great that most of the clues are well and truly gone," he said.
Mr McKeagg said arson had not been ruled out and the case had been handed over to police.
He stressed this was more a matter of standard procedure rather than an indication the fire resulted from criminal activity.
Senior Sergeant Wayne Mills of Tauranga Police said the fire was being investigated but at this stage there was little to report.
However, he said it was not being treated as suspicious.
"The cause at this stage is unknown," he said.
Meanwhile, Cartmill and Parish's four employees were yesterday trying to make sense of what had happened to their workplace.
William Morris, who had worked for the company for six years as a sprayer, was shocked to see what had happened to the factory.
"It's a bit more than I can handle at the moment. It's a shame because it's a job I really enjoyed doing and now it is gone," he said.
"I just feel for Mike and Claire. It's pretty gut-wrenching."
The 26-year-old, who helps to support two children, said he would be taking on part-time work with a glass firm but hoped to one day return to his job at Cartmill and Parish.
"It's going to be pretty tough. I can't really believe it's happened," he said.
Darcel Milroy, who was doing an apprenticeship at Cartmill and Parish, said the Ryans created a great working environment.
"It was like a tight family and a really happy place to learn in," she said.
Ms Milroy helped finish the furniture using a variety of tools including awls, chisels and sanders. The 17-year-old, who had been at the company for about a year, said she was unsure of her next move.
"I'll just start looking for work I guess. I'm just really gutted for Mike and Claire. I just hope everything's okay," she said.
Fellow worker Mathew Milosi, who was also an apprentice at Cartmill and Parish, said he would also have to look for work but eventually hoped he could return to work for the Ryans.
"However long they take I'll always go back," he said.
He was also confident the Ryans would bounce back.
"It's a bad thing that happened to good people. They'll be back, definitely," he said.
Despite the devastating effect the fire has had on their life, Mrs Ryan said there was still hope a new Cartmill and Parish could be built.
"I guess the next step is finding out if we can borrow any more money to set up the business again and to look for some place for us all to go.
"We will be looking for somewhere to set up shop again so if anyone knows of a factory up for lease, please call us."
Anyone wishing to help Claire or Mike Ryan can call 021 235 4932.