In August 2023, Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) Station 253 Casino responded to reports of a fire at the old railway yards located in Bent Street. Upon arrival at the scene, crews discovered a grass fire involving a significant portion of the old coal tower and a part of an adjacent building. The grass fire was quickly extinguished; however, the fire had advanced inside the historic coal tower.
To effectively combat the fire within the coal tower, Fire and Rescue NSW Station 306 Grafton deployed a thermal imaging-equipped drone. This device played a pivotal role in directing firefighters by providing real-time thermal images, facilitating the delivery of water into the seat of the fire. By evening on the same day, the fire had been extinguished; however, due to the historic construction of the building, it was deemed too unsafe for firefighters to enter.
In the early hours of the following morning, at approximately 1:30 a.m., FRNSW Station 253 Casino received another call regarding the coal tower. Unfortunately, the situation had deteriorated, with the entire structure engulfed in flames. A direct approach was impossible due to the severity of the fire and the restricted accessibility caused by surrounding structures and the railway line.
The timber portion of the tower ultimately collapsed just prior to dawn, leaving only the tall steel structure standing amid a sizable pile of burning timber.
To mitigate the risk of the fire spreading into the adjacent bushland, NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) bulk water tankers were dispatched to the north side of the tower. At approximately 03:00 hours, Tomki Rural Fire Brigade and Woodview 7 were enlisted to address spotfires that began in the nearby scrub.
Consequently, the decision was made to allow the structure to burn and collapse naturally, while firefighters ensured that the fire did not spread further
Around 04:00 hours, as the structure continued to collapse, Cat 1 appliances from Kyogle Headquarters Rural Fire Brigade and Wyrallah were responded to to maintain a steady water supply to Casino 1, who was using their truck-mounted monitor to direct water onto the large pile of burning timber.
The fire was successfully contained at approximately 8:00 a.m. following these extensive firefighting efforts.
| Pumper 253 (Casino) | CAFS Tanker 240 (Brunswick Heads) |
| Composite 253 (Casino) | Rehab Van 257 (Coffs Habour) |
| Pumper 362A (Listmore) | Duty Commander |
| CAFS Tanker 211 (Ballina) | Area Commander |
| Casino 1 |
| Bulk Water Tanker |
| Tomki |
| Woodview 7 |
| Kyogle Headquarters |
| Wyrallah |
Photos and information from Casino FRNSW and Casino NSW RFS.
