Published Thursday, 05 January 2012
The fire broke out at Clare Farm Supplies on Park Street shortly after 3.30am.
Thursday morning's stormy conditions made the Fire Service operation more dangerous, with up to 45 firefighters and nine appliances required to bring the blaze under control.
Nigel Christie, who works at a car showroom next to the building which was destroyed, praised the Fire and Rescue Service.
He said he was devastated for the owner of Clare Farm Supplies.
"The Fire Service has done an amazing job to get it under control and save our building from being destroyed - and our cars," he said.
Park Street was closed between the junctions of Main Street and Grange Street.
Firefighter Charlie McCauley told UTV the blaze is now being treated as suspicious.
"There are indications of forced entry having been made," he said, before adding that the information has been passed on to the relevant authorities
"We are treating this as of a suspicious nature. The walls - the exterior walls - are now showing signs of imminent collapse as well so firefighting has been carried out from a safe distance."
A PSNI spokesperson said that it is not believed anyone was in the premises at the time of the incident.
Anyone with information relating to the incident is asked to contact Newtownabbey Police Station.