‘Ferocious’ hop kiln fire investigation ongoing

Fire fighters are still no closer to determining the cause of a fire that destroyed a piece of history in the Derwent Valley.

Fire that destroyed one of Tasmania’s oldest remaining hop kilns at Lachlan Rd, Lachlan, on Sunday. Picture: DAMIAN BESTER

LATEST, 5.24pm:

TASMANIA Fire Service is yet to determine the cause of a fire that destroyed a historic hop kiln at Lachlan.

Crews from New Norfolk, Lachlan, Gretna and Bushy Park volunteer fire brigades were called to the fire at 3:30pm on Sunday afternoon to find the three-storey hop kiln well alight.

It took crews several hours to completely extinguish the fire and they remained on the scene in Lachlan Rd overnight to extinguish any flare ups.

Firefighters were able to limit fire damage to two timber outbuildings nearby.

The TFS said the investigation into the cause of the fire was ongoing.

The hop kiln known as Hopgrove was over 100 years old.

Fire that destroyed one of Tasmania’s oldest remaining hop kilns at Lachlan on Sunday. Picture: DAMIAN BESTER

UPDATED 4.31pm, yesterday: ONE of Tasmania’s oldest remaining hop kilns has been destroyed by fire at a property in Lachlan.

The massive timber hop kiln known as Hopgrove was over 100 years old.

Volunteers from the Lachlan Fire Brigade arrived at the property on Lachlan Rd soon after the fire was reported about 3.40pm.

Fire brigades from throughout the Derwent Valley converged on the scene, finding the large building engulfed in flames.

Smoke from the blaze could be seen from New Norfolk.

Firefighters were unable to save the building, which was completely destroyed, but they were able to prevent it from spreading to nearby houses and historic hop-picker’s huts.

The response included five heavy tankers, one medium tanker, three light tankers and two other fire service vehicles. Police and TasNetworks crews were also at the scene.

The old kiln was a local landmark, standing three storeys tall.

Firefighters work to extinguish the blaze. Picture: DAMIAN BESTER

The farm was producing hops in the 1870s and the drying kiln is believed to have been rebuilt in the 1920s.

Property owner Jack Lomax said the fire quickly took hold.

“The heat was ferocious, there was nothing I could do,” he said.

Picture: DAMIAN BESTER

Mr Lomax, a veteran environmental activist, said it was upsetting to lose the hop kiln.

“There’s so few left now, this was really the last one … It’s a piece of Tasmanian history up in smoke,” he said.

The property has been home for Mr Lomax and his wife Christine for 40 years.

The family was in the process of renovating the hop kiln for sale.

However Mr Lomax there was no electrical equipment or power cords switched on at the time of the fire.

He said the building was insured.

A spokesman for Tasmania Fire Service said the cause of the fire was unknown as of Sunday night and an investigation would take place at first light on Monday.

Fire crews and police were to remain at the scene overnight.