An East Auckland barbershop has gone up in flames overnight, under what police are calling “suspicious” circumstances.
Fire and Emergency NZ (FENZ) was called to the building fire at around 4.05am this morning, and found the structure was “well involved” upon arrival.
At its peak, three trucks were in attendance — crews from Otara, Howick and Papatoetoe. Two trucks remained at the scene to dampen hotspots.
FENZ said the building was six metres by ten metres and the fire was on the ground floor.
Police confirmed in a statement today it is investigating the “suspicious fire.”
Footage taken by 1News shows crews at the scene.
“About 4.05am, a passer by reported smoke coming from a premises between Allens Road and Crooks Road. Police were alerted about 4.15am.
“The property suffered significant damage. Nobody was in the property at the time and no injuries were reported. A scene guard remains in place.”
It said inquiries into the blaze continue.
This is the second barbershop fire this week. An unrelated Royal Oak barbershop was set alight early Wednesday morning, the New Zealand Herald reported.
At the time police said the fire, which broke out at Bentleys Barbers in Royal Oak at around 2.45am Wednesday, was being treated as arson.
While the building’s property manager told The Herald the building was struck by molotov cocktails, a police spokesperson did not confirm if this was the case.
Barbershop has been hit before
This is not the first time the business, which has stores in East Tāmaki and Manurewa, had been hit.
According to an Instagram post, the Manurewa branch “has been burnt down” in January.
The video, posted on January 30, showed the burnt interior of the store and emergency services as they conducted their investigations.
A GiveALittle page was set up that raised over $9000.
One Two Upper Cuts said at the time that “we will be back” and it will “rise form the ashes.”
