Mount Gambier’s Centenary Tower, Blue Lake Golf Club and Carinya Gardens Cemetery Chapel “dodged bullet” in raging bushfire

Bushland remains smouldering but Centenary Tower, a cemetery and golf course have been saved as the landmark’s caretaker shares the moment he was alerted to the blaze.

When a bushfire sparked on the edge of Mount Gambier in the early hours of Tuesday morning it sent a lance of fear through the community, with the previous week’s tragedy at Lucindale fresh in people’s minds.

The blaze, which is being treated as suspicious, destroyed about 50ha of Crater Lakes land before it was brought under control saving Centenary Tower, a nearby cemetery and golf course on Wednesday.

Carinya Gardens Cemetery Chapel served as a staging area for emergency crews, though some trees on the boundary have been damaged, the gravesites escaped unharmed.

The Carinya Gardens Cemetery Chapel served as a staging area for emergency crews. Picture: Supplied Limestone Coast Community News

Five funerals were rescheduled as the fire burned but services at the council owned cemetery will resume on Saturday.

Mount Gambier Council chief executive Sarah Philpott said it was difficult for families, but council “had to keep them safe”.

“The cemetery itself is open again now for people to visit grave sites,” she said.

Ms Philpott was thankful to all the firefighters who prevent any significant damage to the important and “well loved and well used” site.

The scrub fire which ignited early on Tuesday morning blanketed Mount Gambier’s Centenary Tower in smoke. Picture: Tim Rosenthal

Caretaker of the 118-year-old Centenary Tower Ben Deering, received the call at about 3am and ran into the street in his jocks wondering “what was going on”.

With the mountain alight, Mr Deering described the situation as surreal and hoped “people were on top of it”.

“Not being able to use water bombers in the middle of the night … you just hope they can sort of do the impossible,” he said.

Mr Deering said the tower had “dodged a bullet” and was glad it was still standing with no visible damage to the structure but he was yet to access the grounds for a closer inspection.

The Blue Lake Golf Club also had a near miss with the blaze burning roughly 100m from the course.

Firefighters created a break, backburning near the rear car park through to the 10th hole.

Firefighters from the Yahl CFS Brigade fighting the fire at Mount Gambier. Picture: Yahl CFS Brigade

Manager of the golf club Bill Burley said hearing the “fire crackling” from the clubhouse was “eerie”.

Getting the call at 4am by a former member, he hoped it wouldn’t be too bad but realised the danger after spotting the flames.

“You don’t know what extent the fire is until you see it … it was scary,” he said.

Mr Burley and an assistant manager, Garry Stevens, who also volunteers with the Compton CFS brigade, provided food and drinks on a golf cart to crews involved in the backburning operations.

Bill Burley and Garry Stevens providing food and drink to firefighters from the Yahl CFS Brigade. Picture: Yahl CFS Brigade

Bill Burley from the Blue Lake Golf Club could hear the crackling of the fire as it neared the course. Picture: Arj Ganesan

“It’s the least you can do,” Mr Burley said.

“They don’t know how long they’re going to be out there … there were some really good businesses in town that offered food as well … we’re very lucky – everyone pitches in.”

At its peak 150 firefighters from the MFS, CFS, Forestry SA and National Parks and Wildlife and aerial water bombers were deployed with Mr Burley and Mr Deering disappointed waterbombing efforts were hampered by the use of a drone.

The Green Triangle Fire Alliance chopper combating the blaze. Picture: Tim Rosenthal

Mr Deering, who owns a drone himself, said the first thing you see when you open the box is a message from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority detailing when and where you can fly a drone.

“I understand the curiosity … but it’s just no excuse to hinder the firefighters,” Mr Deering said.

“I think everyone’s very aware of the tragedy last week out in Lucindale … thankfully, it was time that was lost and nothing else.”

The act is under investigation with acting officer in charge of the Limestone Coast Local Service Area inspector Karmen Conway saying flying a drone in the vicinity of the fire was both “reckless” and ”selfish” and forced air support to be grounded for 30 minutes.

MFS incident controller Scott Thompson said the cause of the fire was under investigation and warned the public to stay away from the area as surrounding scrub was expected to “smoulder for up to another week”.

SAPOL have urged the public to come forward with any information which can be provided anonymously to crimestoppers at 1800 333 000.