A beloved father of two and business owner who died after a devastating fire destroyed his warehouse is being remembered as the “most honest, sincere and vibrant human being”.
Marine engineer and businessman Rob Lo Presti was working at the marine engineering facility in O’Connor, south-west Perth, on Saturday when the building went up in flames after an explosion.
He was trapped and could not be resuscitated.
Mr. Lo Presti is survived by his wife Rebecca and two young children.
On Sunday, flowers were laid for the enthusiastic fisherman, next to his cup of coffee outside the destroyed warehouse.
“His love of life was evident to all who knew him and his infectious smile was like no other,” his grieving family said in a statement.
“He leaves behind two wonderful children who will live on in the memory of their loving father.”
Rob Lo Presti (pictured), father of two and businessman from Perth, died in a raging factory fire on Saturday
Two others were injured in the fire, which is being treated as a tragic accident by Western Australia police.
The two-story warehouse housed several gasoline engines. These engines caused the fire, which quickly spread through the building.
The state’s Premier Roger Cook said the fire was “a tragic, terrible event”.
“I don’t have any further details, but it must have been very stressful for the emergency responders,” Cook said Sunday.
‘We thank them for their work, and of course lives were lost as well.
He said emergency services have yet to determine the “really sad” circumstances surrounding the fire.
Rob Lo Presti is survived by his wife Rebecca and their two children
The owner of the hydraulic engineering company (pictured) was also an avid fisherman
More than a dozen firefighters rushed to the scene to extinguish the raging fire.
Witness Candice Waugh told reporters she heard a loud bang before seeing smoke billowing into the air.
“We heard a huge bang and felt a shock wave, a slight vibration, through the ground,” she said.
‘It sounded like a gas explosion, we saw black smoke coming from the door.’
Western Australian Department of Fire and Emergency Services Acting Regional Manager Shaun Gilbert said firefighters struggled to enter the plant.
“(The fire was) very, very hot, which made it difficult to get into the building,” he told Nine News.
‘There was also no entrance at the back of the building, so that made it extremely difficult to get to the fire.’
More than a dozen firefighters rushed to the scene of the accident (pictured) to extinguish the fire, which is believed to have been caused by a gas leak.
Mr Gilbert said it appeared there had been a “fuel leak of some kind” which had caused a vapour explosion and set the boat and factory alight.
Arson investigators returned to the scene on Sunday to further investigate the cause of the fire.
A report is being prepared for the coroner.