KEY POINTS:
A man has blamed sheep for causing the fire which destroyed his Tauranga workshop on Saturday night.
Keith Ellett said stock in a nearby paddock broke a waterline and the water supply to a pressure pump in his suburban Greerton workshop malfunctioned and the pump ran dry, overheated and caught fire.
Mr Ellett, 60, who rebuilds trucks for living, told the Bay of Plenty Times his Transparts business was in ruins and he was facing a replacement bill of $750,000 because he was not insured.
He said he was devastated by the blaze.
"My whole life is tied up in this business, not only my ability to earn a living. It's left a huge hole which is indescribable,' he said.
Greerton Fire Service station officer Richard Moreland said firefighters found the workshop well alight when they arrived after receiving a 111 call at 8.20pm.
The cause of the fire was being investigated.
Mr Ellett estimated his losses at $750,000 - $300,000 rebuilding the workshop and the rest from replacing tools, trucks and other property.
- NZPA
