The soccer and touch football clubhouse at Mudgee’s Glen Willow Regional Sporting Complex is likely to be replaced rather than repaired after a fire torched the building on Monday.
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The complex was being used by participants at the Football NSW under-14s state titles when a fire started in the roof of the away change rooms at about 10.30am.
It is believed an electrical fault in a ceiling fan ignited the fire.
The fire spread rapidly before emergency services arrived but all volunteers, spectators, players and officials were able to evacuate the building without injury.
Mid-Western Regional Council has commended the efforts of Mudgee Wolves president, Peter Mitchell, who ensured the safety of people near the building.
Mr Mitchell said “devastating” was not the right word for the fire but couldn’t find an alternative.
He said Council had been “magnificent” in letting people on the ground handle the situation.
Mr Mitchell, also the Mudgee Sports Council president, said he had to praise the efforts of one individual.
“One bloke, who’s apparently a fire fighter himself, got onto the roof to try and put the fire out but it just spread so quickly. He’s the real hero,” Mr Mitchell said.
He said early estimates included about $40,000 damage to the Wolves’ gear stored in the clubhouse. The Mudgee Touch Association and Mudgee Rugby League Football Club also lost thousands of dollars worth of equipment. Players at the tournament using the change rooms would have also lost playing gear and other items. The Football NSW tournament has continued this week.
Members from the Cudgegong District Rural Fire Service and Mudgee NSW Fire and Rescue Service were in attendance as were paramedics and police. One fire fighter was treated by paramedics for smoke exposure.
Incident controller and Cudgegong District RFS superintendent, Garry Barrett, said fire services were alerted at 10.41am and could not confirm what started the fire. He said the fire appeared to start in the roof.
Mr Barrett said an investigation by local police and the fire services would determine the cause of the fire. A crime scene was set up for the investigation but more so to keep the area safe.
On Monday Council said it was waiting for an insurance assessor to determine the possibility of replacement or repair of the amenities building. The assessor will conduct an inspection this week and reports have suggested damage close to $1 million.
“The building is fully insured for replacement,” Ms Goldsmith said.
“After discovering the fire, a Council employee immediately called emergency services.”
“Council is absolutely relieved that there were no injuries and nobody’s safety was put at risk.”
Council said that almost immediately after the fire, temporary facilities were put in place at the Complex. Council has also assured the amentities building will be replaced as soon as possible due to the town’s peak winter sporting period.
Monday’s fire follows an unlucky run of sporting group blazes in the past three years.
In December 2010, the Mudgee Netball, Hockey and Softball amenities building was also lost to fire at the West End Sporting Complex. The Mudgee Golf Club also burnt down weeks later.