Nambucca Leagues Club: Massive fire destroys one of Australia’s best-loved sporting clubs – wiping out 70 years of history and leaving community devastated

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 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.

‘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.

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…