RACV shed burnt out

By Kath Gannaway
THE bill for a fire which ripped through a machinery shed at the RACV Club Healesville last Wednesday is expected to be more than a quarter of a million dollars.
The shed housed grounds maintenance equipment including tractors, backhoes and mowing equipment.
CFA units from Healesville and Badger Creek were notified about 3.45pm on Wednesday, 12 October, after golfers noticed plumes of thick black smoke pouring from the building.
Healesville CFA Captain, Graeme Bates, said firefighters, who were backed up by Bayswater Breathing Apparatus unit, faced a potentially dangerous situation with the shed containing diesel, petrol, fertiliser and highly flammable plastics and tyres.
RACV Club Healesville manager, Ian Duell, said on Friday the shed would need to be demolished and they were still waiting on final figures for machinery.
“According to assessors the worst case scenario is in excess of a quarter of a million dollars,” he said.
“Because so much of the equipment is computerised, and has plastic components we won’t know whether we have to write off a couple of other pieces of machinery.
“The challenge now is to get some equipment in as quickly as possible to ensure the course is maintained to the optimum standard.”
Mr Duell said both CFA and the club’s own fire investigators had been on site and that it appeared the fire started as an electrical fault in a piece of machinery.
He praised the efficiency of the CFA and staff member, Ryan Clinch. He said the speed of the brigade’s response had saved quite a number of major pieces of equipment.
“If they had not been able to get their team together and get up here as quickly as they did it would not have taken much to lose a lot more,” Mr Duell said.
“Also, our assistant golf course superintendent, Ryan Clinch, who was on his way home returned to the site very quickly and was able to assist in getting access to the building and advising the brigades of where things are kept.”