An Auckland barber shop has vowed to battle back after two of its branches were badly damaged in “suspicious” fires this year.
Emergency services were called to One Two Upper Cuts in East Tāmaki at around 4.05am on Saturday after a blaze started at the building.
The “suspicious” fire caused “significant damage” to the property. A video posted to the store’s Instagram showed the burnt interior of the building.
Police said it was “continuing to investigate” the blaze and believed three offenders had set fire to the shop.
It’s not the first time the business has been affected. In January, One Two Upper Cuts’ branch in Manurewa was damaged, an incident police also treated as suspicious.
A spokesperson for One Two Upper Cuts told 1News it was “very disheartening” to lose “everything we worked so hard to build”.
“I also have a certain anxiety about the future of our store.”
The spokesperson said things had been “daunting” in the days following the fire, “but once reality sets in, it’s now taking it one day at a time”.
They said the fires had impacted staff “majorly”.
“Not only emotionally, but this is the bread and butter for their families, as we are in a commission-based industry.”
But the staff refused to give in following the fires, vowing to get “back up for all of those that ever pursued a dream and refuse to give up”.
“The bottom line is, if we give up, we let them win, and every other business forced into our shoes will lose, too.”
When asked if they had a message for anyone who would want to harm their business, the spokesperson said, “I don’t have a message, but there’s a quote that resonates with me. ‘Some people hate you simply because they see you enjoying the success they don’t have from the work they haven’t done’.”
The barbershop is now waiting to finalise its insurance but has promised “we will be back”.
New footage emerges of people running from scene
Footage from the fire at One Two Upper Cuts on Saturday appears to show a person escaping the scene after the building burst into flames. (Source: Supplied)
New CCTV footage of the fire, taken from a neighbouring business, appears to show three people running to the front of the store before it catches fire.
Afterwards, they can be seen running away from the blaze, with two appearing to be on fire themselves.
A police spokesperson said investigators believe “one or more of the persons involved are likely to have sustained serious injuries as a result of the fire”.
Police are also keeping an “open mind” regarding any links between the fires in East Tāmaki and Manurewa and are “reviewing the earlier incident as part of this latest investigation”. No charges were laid following that fire “despite extensive enquiries”.
“Police would like to hear from anyone with any information regarding these incidents. Please contact Police by calling 105 and reference the file number 240803/9517.”
Inquiries into another suspicious barbershop fire in Auckland last week also remain ongoing.
Emergency services were called to the Royal Oak business on Manukau Road at around 2.47am on Wednesday, July 31. Nobody was injured in the fire.
“Anyone with footage or information that may assist is asked to contact Police via our 105-phone service. Please reference the file number 240731/8638.”
Police said that “at this stage” there was “no evidence to link fires that occurred in Royal Oak and East Tāmaki businesses within the past week”.
