By TOM HAYES
THE Morwell Bowling Club was destroyed in a blaze during the early hours of Tuesday, August 20.
Over 60 firefighters consisting of Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) personnel and support from neighbouring Country Fire Authority crews were called to the fire at Hazelwood Road, Morwell at 12.30am.
“On arrival the brigade found that the fire had extended through the roof – and the building is approximately 80 metres by 60 metres,” Morwell FRV captain Shane Mynard told 3AW.
“Once (the fire) got established, it ran through the roof space very quickly, which made it hard to contain.”
It is reported that the fire in the roof caused it to collapse, forcing internal firefighters to operate externally.
“Close to 95 per cent of the building is completely destroyed,” Mr Mynard said. He said that most of the extension was saved, however the destroyed portion of the building will likely need to be demolished.
The blaze took about three hours to get under control and appears to have started from the inside. The cause on the fire remains unknown at this stage.
Water supply was reported to be an issue for firefighters, as they required to call for more resources.
Mr Mynard said the business was last open until about 11pm on Monday, August 19.
He believes the incident isn’t suspicious, however mentioned it cannot be determined until the investigators had come to a conclusion.
“It’s a bit of a hub for the local community, and it’s a shame that this has occurred,” Mr Mynard said.
Last month, the Morwell Bowling Club won multiple awards at the Community Clubs Victoria awards night. The club was presented with the awards for Best Community Club Redevelopment, and Regional Best Club Bistro/Restaurant.
More to come.
