Four Metung Village businesses were destroyed on Tuesday, November 6, as firefighters battled for four and a half hours to contain a fire that started at around 5.30pm as the result of an electrical fault.
Incident controller, Johnsonville Fire Brigade captain, Chris Seymour, told the Post around 70 to 80 emergency service personnel, including fire fighters, police and ambulance, were in attendance with 19 CFA appliances on scene.
“We had volunteers from Metung, Johnsonville, Bairnsdale, Kalimna West, Lakes Entrance and Mossi-Tambo brigades on scene,” he said.
“We also had the Traralgon BA (breathing apparatus) support filling station on scene with 26 cylinders needing to be refilled.”
While the team had packed up by about 11.30pm, Capt Seymour said police remained onsite over night, which he says is standard protocol when a fire is under investigation.
It will be some time before the occupants will return to trading, a real blow for not only the four businesses but also the community of this popular holiday destination, especially with the busy summer season just around the corner.
Metung resident, Analee Gale, is just one member of the close-knit Metung community who is devastated by the businesses’ destruction. “It’s just heartbreaking,” she said. “In the wake of the devastating fires in our little town of Metung there’s a huge sense of community support emerging for the families affected by this loss of livelihood.
“We are all so, so sad for the business owners who are so integral in the community, and historically extremely generous in their own direct support of our beautiful community.”
Analee said once more is known in the wake of the fire, when reports are returned and insurance is accounted for, the community will band together, but until then it is simply doing all it can to support its fellow community members.
At Saturday’s market there was a stall collecting donations for raffles to raise funds and the Metung Primary School, which normally has lunch orders supplied by the businesses, will have a hot dog and flavoured milk day, with all money raised going to the bakery.
PICTURED: The inside of Nautica Restaurant at Metung has been destroyed following a fire that started as the result of an electrical fault on Tuesday, November 6.
