At 8.22pm on Saturday, 18 November, Fire and Rescue NSW were called to a building fire near Coonabarabran’s number two oval.

Fire and Rescue NSW were joined by crews from NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) Castlereagh Zone at the scene, along with Police, Ambulance and Essential Energy personnel.

Dean McKernan, captain of Fire and Rescue NSW Station 264, said crews worked to extinguish the blaze from both sides of the structure.

“We gained control of the fire within the hour, but we had multiple re-ignitions throughout the night,” he said.

Mr McKernan said crews were called back to the scene at 5.30am on Sunday, 19 November, following one of these re-ignitions.

“This was due to the layout of the building, which made it difficult to gain access where we needed – and to do it safely.”

Mr McKernan said the building’s close proximity to high voltage powerlines also caused difficulty, as it posed a danger to crews while trying to manoeuvre to avoid the lines.

He extended his thanks to the efforts of all who helped in extinguishing the blaze.

“It was a great team effort from all of the agencies involved.”

As a Warrumbungle Shire Council owned asset, Council has confirmed they will be pursuing an insurance claim to help cover damage to the building.

A NSW Police Force spokesperson said officers attached to Orana Mid-Western Police District attended and established a crime scene.

Although the exact cause of the fire remained unknown at the time of going to print, the spokesperson said police were treating the incident as suspicious.

As inquiries continue, anyone with information about the incident, or anyone with dashcam or CCTV footage from the area, is urged to contact Coonabarabran Police Station or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Fire and Rescue NSW Coonabarabran was assisted by RFS crews in battling a fire that broke out in the number two oval building on Saturday evening.