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16th November 2006 saw the Club
destroyed by fire, destroying the history and
many years of collective memorabilia .
Sixty firefighters slugged it out with flames that destroyed the
Foxton RSA building in Easton Street yesterday afternoon.
Despite the ruin, RSA members are undaunted.
"We will get up and start over again," said committee member Neil
Lawson even while smoke was still belching from the eaves and
firefighters pounded away at hot spots.
And elsewhere, committee member John Jennings was being handed a
rescued New Zealand flag. Immediately he unwrapped it and flew it
upside down to signal distress. But he still managed a grin.
One of the RSA's vice-presidents, Allan Pugh, stood on the fringe of
the curtain of thick grey-brown smoke over part of Easton Street,
shaken by what was happening, but still looking to the future.
"We will probably have a committee meeting fairly quickly," he said.
"The building was insured, but I don't know all the details. We will
be looking for other premises in the meantime."
Carrying on was important for the RSA members and others witnessing
the fire.
Mr Jennings said the association had begun accepting social members
and has more than 500 on its books.
The 50-year-old building had become an important community gathering
place.
"I don't doubt that the spirit to rebuild is there," said Palmerston
North chief fire officer Rodger Calder, one of many out-of-town
firefighters at the scene.
"They will have no problem starting over. But the really, really sad
thing is the history that has gone their medals, pictures and
mementoes.
"We got out what we could some medals from one side of the building
and some trophies from the other but so much is gone."
He described the building as a total loss. Although built to code,
it was too old to have been fitted with a sprinkler system.
The incident commander in charge of the scene was Foxton deputy fire
chief Michael Clement.
"It was a second-alarm fire," he said, "but on the way here, when we
saw the smoke, we upgraded into to a third alarm."
The fire was reported at 3.20pm and more than two hours later, thick
smoke was still belching from beneath the eaves at the front of the
building and obscuring part of Easton Street.
Around the back near the early seat of the fire, water was ankle
deep along one side of the driveway from Ladys Mile.
The roof over a kitchen area and hall had collapsed, but
firefighters pressed on inside the ruins in pursuit of flames
spreading out through several layers of false ceiling.
It was not until about 6.30pm that the crews began to stand down and
a night watch moved in to take over.
Mr Clement said that eight fire engines responded to the call, and
about 90 percent of the crews were volunteers. The appliances came
from Foxton, Foxton Beach, Himatangi, Waiterere, Levin, Shannon and
Palmerston North.
The fire was one of the worst in the Horowhenua for many years, but
with so many firefighters present, it was possible to spell teams
fighting in the intense heat. Just after 5pm, still more were
arriving.
"We've just got off work," said two men already in full gear. Mr
Clement directed them to a troubled section of wall.
The club rooms, with entrances from Easton Street and Ladys Mile,
began as a house. In the early 1980s, a hall from Ohakea was grafted
on to the back of the house.
Around 1990, the front of the house was extended and an awning
erected to form a smokers' area.
Part of the extension was named the Wally Fee Lounge. Mr Fee, a
former president, died eight weeks ago.
Lost in the blaze were pool tables and eight poker machines owned by
the club, a casino, TAB and a restaurant that had become popular in
the community.
The hall at the rear was known as the Ohakea building and was
believed to be the base's old YMCA.
Easton Street was closed to traffic at its intersection with Ladys
Mile, but cars of onlookers still entered from the other end.
Occupants of nearby houses came out to watch the firefighters and
some sat in rows on fences.
"It's a bloody disaster," said a former committee member who did not
want to be named.
"A lot of people are going to miss this place.
Foxton resident Andrew Benson, retired, who lives one block from the
RSA, agreed the loss of the facility would hit Foxton hard.
"It's very popular because they have got the restaurant there.
Everyone goes to it.
"They did it all up about 10 years ago and lots of people use it."
Mr Benson realised the building was on fire about 3.15pm, when he
saw his neighbours outside waving their arms around. The flames were
shooting up through the roof, Mr Benson said.
Across the street among the onlookers was Dean Clement, who shook
his head as he watched the fire.
"It is a shame this has gone," he said. "It was a community icon."
Mr Calder said last night that two fire crews from Palmerston North
stood watch at the scene until volunteers took over at 9pm. Another
Palmerston North crew returned at 3am.
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