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9 News
9 hours ago
- 9 News
Arsonist accidentally sets himself alight while starting fire at barber shop
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here Security cameras have captured the moment a South Australian barber shop was targeted in a fire bomb attack. Police are investigating two suspicious fires at Hall of Fade Barbershop in Blackwood over the course of two days. In the latest incident, emergency services were called to the store at 1.30am after an explosion broke out at the business. Security cameras have captured the moment a South Australian barber shop was caught up in a fire bomb attack. (9News) Firefighters managed to contain the fire to the barber shop and extinguished the blaze. Security vision shows two suspects forcing their way into the store with a jerry can in tow. The pair eventually re-emerge and ignite the fire which resulted in an explosion. Security cameras have captured the moment a South Australian barber shop was caught up in a fire bomb attack. (9News) The two were even caught up in the blaze themselves, with one of them catching fire in the process. "We found that the barber shop had the front window broken and fire was throughout the whole store," Metropolitan Fire Service assistant chief fire officer Dale Thompson said. "There was a jerry can out front the store that was still on fire when crews arrived." Neighbouring businesses were affected by the smoke. "The smoke was everywhere, our shop was completely smoked," witness Moula Mohammad said. This incident follows a small fire at the same business at 9.10pm on Sunday, where police found Molotov cocktails which were party ignited on the footpath. The owner has told 9News he has no idea who would want to target the business. Adelaide South Australia national Australia CONTACT US
ABC News
03-06-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Metropolitan Fire Service executive director Prema Osborne leaves agency
South Australia's Metropolitan Fire Service executive director Prema Osborne has quietly departed the job after a bungle by the organisation that left firefighters owed more than 6,000 outstanding travel allowance payments. On Friday, MFS chief officer Jeff Swann emailed staff saying Ms Osborne, the most senior non-uniformed member of the service, "concluded her tenure with the [MFS]". He did not explain why she left, nor did an MFS spokesperson when contacted by the ABC, instead repeating the content of Mr Swann's letter. "Prema has led some significant projects and enhanced aspects of the MFS during her tenure," Mr Swann wrote. "I would like to extend my thanks to Prema for her contributions since joining the MFS, as we wish her well for her future endeavours. "In the interim, deputy chief officer Cameron Devey will assume responsibilities for the areas previously overseen by Prema, ensuring continuity of leadership and operational support across the MFS." Ms Osborne declined to comment on the circumstances of her departure from the MFS. Her exit comes two weeks after the SA Employment Tribunal ordered the MFS to pay all outstanding work travel claims within 28 days. Internal sources said her position was considered untenable by many rank-and-file members, with payments accidentally frozen for seven months, amid reports of further administrative issues. On May 14, the tribunal found the MFS unlawfully withheld travel payments between August 2024 and March this year after affected firefighters escalated complaints. During the case, lodged by the United Firefighters Union (UFU), Ms Osborne testified that two ex-staff members were responsible for processing payments, and had not implemented a handover before resigning. However, she said their replacements were not given additional resources to fix the backlog because of budget constraints. Magistrate Katherine Eaton rejected that excuse and found it "[did] not preclude re-allocating existing resources … or attempting to obtain additional resources". "The job was being done without difficulty within resources until two staff left," she said. "That senior management did not know how that task was being performed or by whom speaks to a failure of management diligence, not resources. "Once the SAMFS management became aware its firefighters were not being paid their entitlements, resuming compliance with that legal obligation should have had led to nothing short of full-time dedication of resources until it was resolved." She concluded her decision by remarking: "The employer here is the Crown. That it has failed over such an extended period to comply with its own legal obligations is disturbing". In court, the MFS was unable to clarify the total amount owed. Speaking to ABC Radio Adelaide on Tuesday, UFU SA secretary Max Adlam said she read Mr Swann's email but "did not have a great deal more information" about it. Ms Adlam said "a lot of the support positions have simply been shredded over the last 12 months", which had left operational staff to pick up the workload. "Our experience, and our members' experience, is that underpayments and overpayments are a constant problem … we think the resourcing is a really big issue for them," she said. The MFS declined to comment on support staff cuts. Several MFS sources said Ms Osborne was criticised by colleagues for her oversight of the MFS Direct Entry Framework, which sought to attract interstate firefighters. According to sources, applicants were not told until the end of their interviews they would need to serve a mandatory five-year regional posting, which was eventually bargained down to two years. Applicants also had to pay their way to Adelaide to attend interviews at South Australian Fire and Emergency Services Commission (SAFECOM) headquarters late last year, which were re-scheduled at least once. "Otherwise, they wouldn't have wasted their time." The MFS spokesperson said during interviews the "applicants provided a preference for the regional station they could be located at". Ms Osborne was previously a senior executive at SafeWork SA between 2018 and 2022, before being hired by the MFS in 2023. Alongside SafeWork chief executive Martyn Campbell, she left the watchdog one month before the Merritt Review was handed down, which uncovered problems with resourcing and staff turnover. Emergency Services Minister Emily Bourke deferred questions to the MFS.
