Fire investigators say it appears an accelerant was used in the fire which quickly spread and caused significant damage.

News of the fire spread quickly on social media on Saturday as many people expressed both their disappointment that something like this could happen, but also anger that people could deliberately set out to destroy something that exists only to help others.

Volunteers have given their time to establishing the op shop and also working weekly shifts to sort through the goods and work the cash register.

Others have chosen to donate goods to the community op shop to help others in our community who find themselves in need and requiring a little help to get back on their feet.

The op shop was there only to do good, yet someone in our city could not be satisfied with that. Someone preferred to see the op shop in flames and now many others are left to bear the burden of their stupidity.

Predictably, many of the posts on the Western Advocate Facebook page over the weekend were along the lines of “what is our world coming to?” as people expressed their concern that the fabric off our community is changing. But that way of thinking misses the point, and we would do well to consciously work against it.

The actions of vandals who set out to damage and destroy should not define what our world is becoming.

Rather, we should look to the tireless actions of the op shop volunteers – and so many other volunteers in our city – as defining what makes our community.

These are the people who set out to build and create, to grow and nurture.

They are the people who give their valuable time to support others, and they are to be celebrated.

Most importantly, there are far more volunteers in our community than vandals, so the actions of the vandals should never be given greater value.

The response to the community op shop fire rather than the fire itself shows what is happening to our world.

It was a response of resilience and a determination to rebuild – to continue giving to others.

If that’s what is becoming of our world, then that’s no bad thing.