Kurrajong and the community in general were devastated with the news that the Kurrajong Narrandera Laundry building was extensively damaged by fire last Thursday night.

Kurrajong team members arrived to find that emergency crews had contained the fire, but significant damage occurred, particularly to the centre of the building. Thankfully no one was in the building at the time.

Police forensic officers have been working at the site to determine the cause.

Kurrajong CEO Ray Carroll said it was an extremely sad day for everyone at Kurrajong, but buildings and equipment could be replaced.

“We are diligently working towards a solution to ensure needs are met during this recovery period, with the priority being to minimise any disruption to services.

“Kurrajong provides vital services and support to the wider community across the region, so its commercial enterprises such as the Narrandera laundry play a crucial role in offering supported employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities,” he said.

“We serve a wide range of customers across the Riverina, delivering high-quality products and services and creating meaningful social impacts. We remain committed to our mission and will continue to serve our community with resilience and determination.”

The Narrandera Fire and Rescue squad responded to the fire after receiving the triple zero call at around 9.30pm after the building’s fire alarms were set off.

Narrandera Fire and Rescue captain, Neal Tait, said the fire was already well ablaze by the time they arrived on the scene.

“When we arrived, the building was totally engulfed in fire”¦ the damage is quite significant; the roof has collapsed for pretty much the whole building,” he said.

“It took us 45 minutes to get the fire under control and then about another two hours to fully extinguish it.”

Two other Fire and Rescue squads and two Rural Fire Service squads, comprising a total of 18 firefighters, were also present at the scene to assist the Narrandera fire squad.

Firefighters left the scene at around 1:30 am after bringing the situation under control and cleaning up.

At this stage, the cause of the fire remains unknown and has been passed on to the police for further investigation.

If anyone has any further information, they are encouraged to contact the police or report it through Crime Stoppers.

Customer/client enquiries can go to a designated number that will be staffed at Narrandera – 59380967 – the laundry number has been diverted to this.

This article appeared in the  Narrandera Argus, 6 June 2024.