On Wednesday morning (1 February), CFA crews responded to reports of a historic boat shed ablaze on the Mornington Peninsula.
With the station located just 200m from the beach, crews from Dromana and Rosebud were quick to arrive on scene along Point Nepean Road at 6.17am.
The four CFA units battled the swift moving flames that engulfed the single-car garage sized shed, with support from Fire Rescue Victoria crews and breathing apparatus equipment.
Dromana Captain Tim Desmond said the shed was well alight and emitting a great deal of black smoke, but the greatest damage was caused to the back end of the shed.
“At this stage, it is underdetermined whether it started at the rear of the boat shed where the power went into the building, and then spread to the grass and scrub behind, or whether it started in the bush and went into the boat shed.” he said.
“Although the structure is still in place at the front, due to the significance of the damage, the shed will need to be pulled down.
“Sadly, the rear of the shed was destroyed, and the fire went through the roof space and within the walls.”
While firefighters brought the fire under control and declared the incident safe by 6.41am, crews remained on scene to monitor any smouldering areas of the boat shed.
Foreshore rangers and building inspectors were notified to attend the scene to assess the damage.
The cause is being investigated by Victoria Police.
Following the incident, Tim reiterated the importance of the community understanding just how quickly fire can spread and to be particularly safe and observant throughout the summer months.
“Yet another one of the 247 iconic boat sheds that line the Dromana foreshore between Safety Beach and Anthony’s Nose has been lost,” he said.
It is also a timely reminder to the public to always make sure there is clear access for fire and emergency service vehicles when responding to the scene.