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DEVASTATION Morwell Bowling Club is picking up the pieces after last week’s fire destroyed more than 100 years of history. The club is facing a two-year rebuild, but is determined to get back on its feet as soon as possible. Local clubs have offered their support, while plans are in place for staff to return to work. Photograph: Tom Hayes By TOM HAYES
AN electrical fault has been discovered to be the cause of the fire that destroyed the Morwell Bowling Club in the early hours of Tuesday, August 20. Fire investigators believe the fault occurred in the switchboard, which forced more than 60 firefighters consisting of Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) personnel and support from neighbouring Country Fire Authority crews to be called to the fire 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
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FRV captain, Shane Mynard, told 3AW on the morning of August 20. “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, which slowed down the extinguishing process. Water supply was reported to be an issue for firefighters, as they were required to call for more resources from as far away as Dandenong. “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 was confirmed to have started from the inside. Mr Mynard said the business was last open until about 11pm on Monday, August 19. At the time he believed the incident wasn’t suspicious, but it couldn’t be determined until the investigators came 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.
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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. Morwell Bowling Club General Manager, Teena Johnson, was at a loss for words describing her reaction to the blaze. “It still, to me, seems surreal. I’m looking out thinking ‘This doesn’t happen, this is not real’. It’s just crazy,” she said. Continued - Page 3