Police are treating a fire at a hospice shop distribution centre in the Auckland suburb of Takanini as arson. Photo: Supplied / Te Kahu Pairuri o Tōtara I Tōtara Hospice
A fire at an Auckland hospice shop distribution centre overnight is being treated as suspicious.
Tōtara Hospice chief executive Tina McCafferty told RNZ the building, which was their biggest storage area for donations across south and south-east Auckland, had been devastated.
"The warehouse has been absolutely wiped out. It is gone.
"In there is all of our stock that gets donated to us by community members. All of that is gone. There is not a thing left."
The warehouse was featured in the Hospice Heroes' documentary this year, she said.
She said police were investigating the fire as potential arson.
"We have cameras on site, and had an incident the previous day where someone set fire to a waste bin outside.
She said none of their staff or volunteers were on site at the time of the fire, but came to the centre once they heard what had happened.
"Our retail store staff have been fantastic and up since the early hours, they have not gone home, they refuse to go home.
"Some of them are still crying that someone might have done this, or even if it was an accident, about the impact it will have on the hospice.
"This is just one more thing we did not need. Over the last couple of months, we have had to reduce patient services, we have made almost 20 percent of our staff redundant, and now we have a significant suspicious fire at one of the arms of our organisation that tries to fill funding gaps."
None of the staff or volunteers were on site at the time of the fire. Photo: Supplied / Te Kahu Pairuri o Tōtara I Tōtara Hospice
The adjoining hospice shop in Takanini was still standing, but McCafferty said there was a lot of smoke damage.
"The funds that come from retail are so critical to fill funding gaps from Crown contracts and keep our doors open as best we can. It is devastating for our organisation."
Police confirmed to RNZ they were treating the fire as suspicious, and a scene examination was due to be carried out later on Tuesday.
They said the store was closed at the time, and no one was injured.
Anyone with information was urged to contact police online at https://www.police.govt.nz/use-105 or call 105 and reference job number P063603011 .
Information can also be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.
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