Fire, police and emergency services remain at the scene of a serious blaze that burned down Mount Isa’s Harvey Norman store on Miles St overnight (Thursday) with access to the highway closed from Miles St.
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Emergency services were called to the premises at 12.30am and found the building engulfed in flames.
The fire was extinguished at around 2.50am and caused extensive damage to the structure as well as all of the property located in the store.
No one was on the premises and there were no reports of injuries.
A crime scene has been established with forensic officers returning to conduct examinations of the scene this morning.
Mount Isa police inspector Trevor Kidd said emergency responded quickly to the fire after midnight but found the building well ablaze when they arrived on the scene.
“Police and emergency services are still on the scene this morning,” Inspector Kidd said.
“We are treating the blaze as suspicious at this point.”
Inspector Kidd said this was a major fire which totally destroyed the building but thankfully no one was hurt.
“It was a great effort by all services involved to get the blaze under control,” Inspector Kidd said.
“Given that the building is in Mount Isa’s CBD, Emergency services crews did a great job to ensure it did not spread to nearby building,” he said.
“Investigations into the cause have started, forensic and otherwise.”
Inspector Kidd said the area around the building was a crime scene and people should keep away from that end of Miles St.
The store contains two separate Harvey Norman franchises, one furniture and electrical, the other computer equipment with the fire starting in the whitegoods section.
Ruined items of furniture could be seen inside the doors of the Miles St end of the business as emergency crews secured the premises. It is likely the damage bill will be massive. Police are appealing for anyone who may have witnessed any suspicious activity in the vicinity to contact them.
If you have information for police, contact Policelink on 131 444 or provide information using the online form 24hrs per day.
Derek Barry
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
