The 2019 bushfires were devastating for the Ewingar community, resulting in the loss of two lives and the destruction of more than 20 homes. Bushfire response for the community has now been bolstered with construction of a new purpose-built NSW Rural Fire Service facility.
Bigger better fire shed fit for purpose
The three-bay RFS shed, fitted out to facilitate bushfire and emergency response, was officially opened in July 2025 near the community hall that is also utlised during emergencies.
Following the devastation of the 2019 bushfires, Council applied for funding to build a new fire shed at Ewingar through the Bushfire Local Economic Recovery Fund (BLERF). The grant application was successful, securing $836,000.
Construction commenced in October 2024, involving several local contractors, and was completed and fitted out in consultation with the NSW Rural Fire Service.
New Facility welcomed by RFS
The new modern facility has better equipped the Ewingar community to respond to bushfires, according to NSW Rural Fire Service Clarence Valley District Manager, Superintendent Stuart Watts.
"During the fires, the 2000 fires and the 2019-2020 fires, we'd generally send people to work out of the back of cars. Now we can set our radios up in this place to be a command and control centre," he said.
"The way this place has come together it's really enhanced our operational capability in this part of the world. It's a great step forward from the old shed on Bulldog Road – it was really good in its day, but it did have its constraints being the new trucks are higher, wider, and longer, and didn't fit.
"The new station is equipped to take on these trucks, and looks to the future of what sort of vehicles we may have here in future emergencies – it will meet the needs of our operations regardless of what emergency services work out of here at the time."
