An investigation into a fire that razed Beulah’s only town store to the ground last week has come back undetermined, because the fire was “too ferocious”.
CFA crews from Hopetoun, Kenmare, Roseberry, and Warracknabeal were called to the blaze on the town’s main street last Tuesday 23 July, shortly after 1pm.
They arrived to find the IGA fully alight.
Initial attempts to battle the out-of-control fire were called off because firefighters deemed the fire too dangerous. Instead, they were forced to wait for back-up from nearby brigades.
District 18 Commander Ron Shiner said a number of explosions could be heard coming from inside the store.
“We had a fire investigator at the scene but the cause came back as ‘undetermined’, simply because the fire was too ferocious.”
“Those buildings are very old and predominantly constructed from timber. So once the fire took hold, the heat coming out of it would’ve been extreme.
“The fire completely destroyed the store.”
Yarriambiack councillor Helen Ballentine said the store was a landmark.
“It was a Cust family store,” she said.
“In the pioneering days, the family built a number of general stores in the area.
“While it’s a big loss for the town, Beulah is a very strong community and I’m sure they’ll get back on their feet.”
Ms Ballentine said bread and milk will be available from the local post office.
The building’s wooden structure meant the fire spread rapidly
