Bong Bong Street fire: Bowral community support businesses

The Southern Highlands community has rallied around the stores destroyed by fire in one of Bowral’s oldest arcades. Here’s how you can help.

A number of popular local businesses have been left out on the street after fire ripped through one of Bowral’s oldest arcades.

Large crowds gathered late on Thursday night to watch as firefighters battled the blaze engulfing the shops on the corner of Bowral’s main street and Wingecarribee St.

Fire and Rescue NSW battled through the night to salvage the building, but the fire severely damaged the shops closest to where it apparently started at Dos Hombres Mexican Restaurant.

Bong Bong St Bowral was engulfed in flame last Thursday.

According to Philip Israel, the owner of used bookstore It’s All Books to Me, the affected business owners met with the owner and fire inspectors on Monday to discuss damage.

Although there was no damage to Hot Bread Bakery or Sell Block, Mr Israel said there was quite a bit of water damage to Il Topolino Deli and Will’s Kitchen and the remaining six businesses were destroyed.

“There was talk about maybe saving one or two shops but I doubt it very much,” he said. “(I believe) The whole thing will come down.”

The one bright spot for business owners has been the outpouring of support from local residents, who have offered everything from condolences to goods in their efforts to help shopkeepers get back on their feet.

Six of the ten businesses in the arcade were destroyed, two were water damaged, and two could continue operating.

Mr Israel said the support from the local community had blown him away.

“It hasn’t stopped. It’s just been amazing,” he said.

“I can’t thank people enough.”

Mr Israel told The Bowral News people from near and far have been donating so many used books that he needed to get a warehouse to store them all.

He hopes the new incarnation of the bookstore, aptly named Phoenix Bookstore, will be up and running at a Moss Vale warehouse within the next couple of weeks.

Vicky Singh, from The Grand Indian, also expressed his gratitude for the incredible support from residents. The restaurant had been in Bowral for 14 years and Mr Singh said they were devastated by the fire, particularly after being impacted by the pandemic.

Firefighters were still on scene the next day assessing the damage and watching for any reignited fires.

However, Mr Singh said The Grand Indian is looking for new premises in the Southern Highlands to start again. He said the restaurant was very grateful for the support of locals and hoped customers will return when the restaurant is re-established.

“The community love us and they’ve been supporting us so much,” he said.

“We will be back soon. Whenever possible.”

Celebrity hairdresser Joh Bailey has also stepped in to help, allowing the newly opened Barberlife Clinic to operate from the Bowral salon.

The appreciative owners thanked residents for the “overwhelming support and offers of help we‘ve received from our wonderful community”.

The future of nearby shops Victoria’s Natural Beauty and Will’s Kitchen (also known as Billy Chan the Dumpling Man) is uncertain, but both owners have both thanked residents for their incredible support following the fire.

Customers, particularly businesses, expressed concern at the destruction of the last local ANZ branch.

The ANZ branch is also looking to move into another location after the fire left the Southern Highlands without any access to ANZ. Residents are concerned at the sudden loss of the ANZ bank location, which had three branches in the area not so long ago. However, the branch is actively looking for a location to settle to provide services.

Unlike ANZ, the owners of Dos Hombres Mexican have told customers it is now permanently closed and will not re-open.

Police and NSW Fire and Rescue are investigating the cause of the fire.

Detective Chief Inspector Brendan Bernie said the forensic team were on site on Monday to investigate the inferno.

“We’ve got our forensic people on site at the moment,” he said.

“We’re working with NSW Fire and Rescue investigators to determine the origin and cause of the fire.”

Chief-Insp Bernie said it could be some time before the investigative report could reach a conclusion, given the amount of fire damage.