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Motorcycle repair workshop destroyed by suspicious fire at Ridgehaven

By Nicola Gage
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The blaze took 50 firefighters hours to control.

ABC News
A motorcycle repair shop at Ridgehaven in Adelaide's north-east has been destroyed by fire, but police are not commenting on possible links to bikie gangs.

Police and fire crews were called to the business Hyperperformance Cycles on Norma Avenue just after 2:30am.

Metropolitan Fire Service (MFS) station officer Kevin Ryan said it took 50 firefighters hours to control the blaze, which was fuelled by oil and paint and is believed to be suspicious.

"The main problem is possible structural collapse because of the intensity of the fire earlier on," he said.

"And also, we are dealing with an acetylene bottle which requires a long time to cool down."

The building has been gutted but neighbouring businesses were saved, with crews on scene this morning mopping up hot spots.

Dan Lester owns a gym that backs onto the workshop and said his business had also been damaged.

"It affects my business, my livelihood... I've got kids mouths to feed and stuff like that," he said.

"It is what it is and it could have been worse so hopefully we get to the bottom of it and keep trading as normal."

The MFS said the building had not been used as a business in recent weeks.

It appears that is because its owner Andrew Peter Stevens was recently detained by the Immigration Department.

An online petition by his family said his visa has been cancelled because he was a member of a motorcycle gang.

It said Mr Stevens moved to Australia from the UK as a nine-year-old.

Police would not comment on the fire's possible links to outlaw motorcycle gangs.

Several motorcycles and tools were inside the building.

The MFS said the fire caused about $200,000 damage.