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BREAKING NEWS Nambucca Leagues Club: Massive fire destroys one of Australia's best-loved sporting clubs - wiping out 70 years of history and leaving community devastated Shocking blaze took hold just before 6am on Wednesday 40 firefighters and nine trucks trying to bring it under control By SHAYNE BUGDEN FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA Published: 22:42 EST, 21 January 2025 | Updated: 22:55 EST, 21 January 2025 e-mail View comments The Nambucca Leagues and Sports club on the NSW mid-north coast has been destroyed by a huge blaze that took hold before 6am on Wednesday, leaving the local community shattered. Fire and Rescue New South Wales (FRNSW) sent around 40 firefighters and nine trucks in an attempt to control the inferno, and said they were met by 'intense fire activity' that made them retreat as the building began to collapse. Efforts to put the blaze out were hampered by problems with water supply and several large gas canisters that were exposed to the flames.
FRNSW said the fire resulted in 'significant roof and structural collapse' and photos of the scene showed the building almost completely engulfed by the flames. News of the destruction hit the town of Nambucca Heads hard, with locals taking to social media to voice their distress at the loss of the club, which was a hub for the community and housed 70 years worth of footy and cricket memorabilia. The cause of the fire was not known at the time of writing.
The Nambucca community on the NSW mid-north coast has been shattered by the destruction of their local leagues club in a horror fire on Wednesday (pictured) Firefighters were forced to retreat as the building started collapsing due to the severity of the fire, which started shortly before 6am 'Oh no I was just there last night this is awful - all the history of football photos and memories and the workers and their jobs. It's just devastating for us all,' Patricia Flannigan wrote on Facebook. 'Clubs are the heart of our community.
Devastated to see this post this morning. Wish all those working on the fire safety and a quick resolution,' another social media user wrote. Local soccer team the Nambucca Strikers released a statement after the sad news broke.
'We would just like to acknowledge the terrible loss that has occurred this morning with the fire at the Nambucca Sports and Leagues Club,' it read. 'The club was an integral part of our Strikers Family and the support over the years has always been so greatly appreciated. We all have so many cherished memories and it's a massive loss in our Football community.
' The beloved club partially collapsed and was left a burnt-out shell FRNSW commissioner Jeremy Fewtrell echoed those remarks in a statement as his crews battled the fire. 'Crews from across the Mid North coast faced significant risks, including a well-developed fire, structural collapse, and the presence of gas cylinders', he said. 'Our crews initially entered the building to attack the fire internally, but retreated as the building began to collapse, prioritising the safety of firefighters while continuing operations from the outside.
'This has been a devastating loss for the Nambucca Heads community, with the destruction of a much-loved local facility. Firefighters worked tirelessly under extremely challenging conditions to protect life and property and contain the blaze.' More to come.
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