Ryan and Marian Adel have called the destruction of their family business devastating after a suspicious fire swept through it overnight.
Fire crews took four hours to contain the blaze at the Dandenong South 4×4 accessories shop after receiving multiple triple-zero calls just before 2.30am.
The business owners spoke to media in the aftermath of the blaze, stating they would never wish such an experience on anyone.
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Incredible vision taken by a passer-by captured the extent of the blaze.
“I heard a lot of noises and glass breaking, explosions happening. I wasn’t sure what was going on,” Michael Altundal, who witnessed the blaze said.
“I went to investigate and as soon as I opened the door, I could smell a lot of smoke. I then saw the flames and the factory went up in fire.
“At first it wasn’t too big but after five minutes it went ballistic. I probably heard a dozen explosions. I thought something was going to hit me.”
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The fire is being treated as suspicious by police, and the cause is still yet to be determined.
“We were at home sleeping and we got a call from the police that the whole building is on fire,” Ryan said.
“We drive to the scene but when we arrived, it was in this condition and almost everything gone.
“It’s an awful experience. I hope nobody experiences this. It’s really bad. We never never expected this. But bad things happen that’s out of our control.”
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The family is now picking up the pieces of the business as they look at how to manage their employees.
“I’m just thinking how to keep paying my employees, how to keep the business running and how to support my customers,” he said.
The Dandenong South location is the main hub for the business, with small branches spread throughout the state, according to Ryan.
“Everybody is going to continue working on the other branches and we will look forward to replacing these branches with a new building,” he said.
Police are continuing to investigate.
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