A young Adelaide barber has watched his newly opened business burn to the ground after CCTV footage captured three people forcing their way inside and igniting a fireball that tore through the shopfront within seconds.
The attack on Solis Barber Studio, on Hancock Road in Ridgehaven, occurred around 2am. Footage reviewed by police shows a vehicle pulling up outside before the occupants broke in, splashed an accelerant across the interior, and set it alight. The fire spread wall to wall almost instantly.
Co-owner Jemal Cassar, 20, said the scale of the blast was immediate and total. "It just exploded," he told 7NEWS. "I'm surprised the guys didn't hurt themselves. It was a massive explosion, it was terrible."
When firefighters arrived, the building was already fully alight. South Australia Police confirmed the business sustained extensive damage, with adjoining properties also suffering smoke and water damage. Nothing inside the barbershop was salvageable.
The investigation took on added urgency about 45 minutes later, when police and fire crews were called to a second incident at a prestige property on Fitzroy Terrace in the nearby suburb of Thorngate. In that case, the homeowner extinguished a fire in the front yard before emergency services arrived, preventing damage to the house itself.
No injuries were reported in either incident.
"Police are treating the fires as suspicious and believe the incidents are linked," SAPOL confirmed in a statement. Detectives and crime scene investigators spent the morning working across both locations. The investigation remains ongoing.
Two fires in separate suburbs, both in the early hours of the morning and both now considered suspicious, raise questions about motive and targeting. Whether the barbershop and the Thorngate residence share any connection has not been confirmed publicly.
Cassar had opened Solis Barber Studio only a few months ago. Despite losing everything inside, he set up his barber chair on the footpath in front of the gutted shopfront, signalling his intention to continue trading.
Arson carries serious penalties under South Australian law. Anyone with information about either incident is encouraged to contact Crime Stoppers SA on 1800 333 000. The full CCTV footage from the Ridgehaven incident has been reported by 7NEWS and is being assessed as part of the police investigation.
The fires serve as a reminder of the real and disproportionate harm arson inflicts on small business owners, many of whom carry inadequate insurance or none at all. For Cassar, a 20-year-old who had only just launched his first venture, the financial and personal cost is considerable. The presumption of innocence applies to any persons who may later face charges; at this stage, no arrests have been announced.