Mail - Ranges Trader mail - 25th September 2018

Page 1

Ranges

5 Tuesday, 25 September, 2018

Trader

A berry trying time

Mail

Covering the Dandenongs in the Yarra Ranges & Cardinia Shires

25

A Mail News Group publication

Kav's flying solo

29-30

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Phone: 5957 3700 Trades and Classifieds: 1300 666 808

The historic pub has been entirely gutted by the fire. 185627 The heritage-listed Ranges Hotel in Gembrook has been destroyed by fire, devastating local residents.

Heart burnt out By Russell Bennett and Kyra Gillespie The ‘heart and soul of Gembrook’ went up in flames on Monday 24 September as shocked local residents watched on. The heritage-listed Ranges Hotel was originally opened in the 1890s and underwent a major renovation in recent years - helping to breathe new life into the main street. More than a dozen fire fighting vehicles and around 50 firefighters were called to the scene at 6am, with crews arriving to find it fully engulfed. “The fire was well and truly going when we got here and had got up into the roof,” Gem-

brook CFA Incident Controller Chris Pearsal said. CFA crews who were on site said the damage was so extensive that it looked like it would have to rebuilt and one volunteer spoke about the pub's significance in town. “The heart came back to Gembrook,” she said. “You can’t put a figure on the damage done to an old historical building like that - it’s priceless." That sentiment is one that is shared by many of the residents. Local business owner Bobby Gordon could hardly believe his eyes when he watched on

with dozens of other locals as fire crews battled to extinguish the blaze. Mr Gordon and his family have been crucial in helping to revitalise the town’s Main Street, which is now often alive with activity. He became emotional when telling the Mail just how much of a bitter blow the pub fire was to the town. “It was about 20 past six and you could see all the smoke,” said Mr Gordon. “I ran over and it was on the western wing and it was underway. “There were two trucks there straight away but it just got in the roof and they really struggled to get it under control.”

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Mr Gordon said fire crews were attacking the blaze from all possible angles. “This is the heart and soul of Gembrook,” he said of the pub. “I just feel so sorry for the owners. “This will put us (the town) 10 years behind.” Owners Colin and Andrea Nippers were on site and visibly distressed. It is not known yet what caused the fire, but police are treating it as a crime scene. “It’s really a waiting game,” Detective Senior Constable Butler from Cardinia CIU said. “We’re still waiting for the pumpers to finish putting out the blaze, and then we’ll take it from there.”

Kaye Charles Real Estate


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