A FAST-MOVING fire has destroyed the Ardlethan Bowling Club just a week out from its pennant finals, leaving the town without one of its main social outlets.
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The blaze is believed to have started in the kitchen of the bowling club about 9.30pm on Sunday, soon after closing time, with firefighters on the scene within 15 minutes.
However, the ferocity of the fire meant brigade members were unable to extinguish the blaze before the premises was destroyed, with the damage bill estimated at more than $500,000.
It took nearly five hours for firies, using seven tankers for Ardlethan, Beckom and other surrounding brigades, to put out the blaze.
Rural Fire Service members remained on site until 7am yesterday, watching for spot fires.
Ardlethan police officer, Constable Michael Smith, said no one was on site at the time the fire started and doesn't believe it was deliberately lit.
"At this stage, there are no suspicious circumstances and the likely starting point was in the kitchen area," Const Smith said.
Detectives from Wagga Local Area Command were yesterday on the scene to investigate the cause of the fire.
"(They will) be conducting the initial investigation and preparing a report for the coroner, which is mandatory for insurance purposes for anything valued at more than $500,000," Const Smith said.
"I can't say how much (the damage bill will be), but it's it's more than $500,000."
Const Smith said the Ardlethan community would feel the effects of the fire for a long time.
"The club had pennants next week and a lot of the bowling equipment was destroyed," he said.
"That's going to be a big loss for those involved and as a social outlet being a small town."
Town loses a 'dear friend'
ARDLETHAN has lost "a really dear friend" but the community has vowed to rebuild its beloved bowling club after it was destroyed by fire on Sunday night.
"Half the town" watched on as the bowling club, built in the early 1940s, was reduced to ashes and there was nothing they could do.
"It was like the loss of a really dear friend. It's been a very emotional time - the club was the hub of the town," former Ardlethan Bowling Club director Jenny Kuemmel said today.
"It felt like half the town was there watching on and we were powerless to do anything."
The fire not only destroyed the club premises and bowling equipment that was inside, irreplaceable memorabilia going back more than seven decades including tin mine artefacts was lost.
Mrs Kuemmel said community members had already resolved to rebuild the club to ensure the important public facility was not lost for good.
"When it was going up (in flames) everyone was immediately saying we're going to keep the club going," she said.
Ardlethan Bowling Club was scheduled to host a pennant bowls event this weekend, but it is unclear when and where that fixture will now be held.
"We could still host it because the (bowling) greens are still in tact," she said.
The club employs about six staff and residents are already attempting to come up with an interim solution before a permanent building is constructed.
"There's lots of ideas being bandied around to find an interim solution, but we'll definitely make it work" Mrs Kuemmel said.
The community was in shock at the loss of the club yesterday, a place where residents gathered regularly for a meal, a game of bowls or a social catch-up.
"The club supported a lot of community teams - the football club, softball team and the netball club," she said.
"It was a publicly funded club that had been built up (over seven decades) to what it was today."
