Insurance covered everything in the Legacy Op Shop except for donations. Legacy Liaison Officer Lyn Kitawal said the insurance would cover the costs involved with setting up a new shop.

“We had insurance on all the shelving and fixtures, the fridge and all the electrical items,” Mrs Kitawal said.

“All of the electrical items were tagged and tested and the insurance company are happy with that.”

While some of the items lost in the fire can be replaced it is the hurtful rumours that have upset the Legacy workers, known as the torchbearers, the most.

Although the origin of the fire is still under investigation rumours have circulated that the fire started in the Legacy office, however Mrs Katawal said this was impossible.

“Our legacy office is at the back of Flanders House over behind the RSM so it would not be possible for the fire to have started in the office,” she said.

“Some of the torchbearers who worked in the Byron Arcade shop were really upset by some of the rumours going around blaming the op shop.”

Inverell Police Inspector Rowan O’Brien said while the cause of the fire is suspected to be an electrical fault the starting point of the fire is still unknown.