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Bentley gym owner thankful business and customers unharmed in Bentley Plaza fire

Ben SmithCanning Gazette

THE owner of a Bentley gym said it was lucky no one was hurt in the shopping centre fire which caused an estimated $2 million in damage last week.

Genesis Fitness is located inside Bentley Plaza Shopping Centre and backs on to Dunya Foods, which was destroyed by fire last Thursday at 1.30am in the morning.

Owner Adam Deane said he was “devastated” by the fire and thankful no one was hurt in the blaze, given there were members inside the gym when the fire began.

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“We’re a 24-hour gym, there were members here at the time the fire broke out and one of them entered the gym and evacuated a couple of other members who were working out at the time,” he said.

“He also phoned the fire brigade, I don’t know whether they had already been alerted, but he phoned them.”

Mr Deane said while the fire did not harm his gym, it was affected by smoke and water damage, which has forced it to close until Wednesday.

“We sustained pretty heavy smoke damage, there’s a fine layer of soot and oil covering everything inside the gym,” he said.

“We also had water damage from where the water cannons came into our premise as well, but no fire damage as such.”

Police are treating the fire as suspicious and are seeking the public’s assistance to assist with their ongoing investigation.

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