Fire
Industry News
A fire broke out in the night from Thursday to Friday, May 16-17, at the sewage treatment plant at Charlotte Pass Snow Resort in Australia. The small ski resort is just 4.35 miles (7km) from Perisher Valley in the Kosciuszko National Park in New South Wales (NSW).
Local fire services received an emergency call around 6:30 a.m. when flames could be seen from the resort’s sewage treatment plant. Four fire trucks and 16 firefighters from Fire and Rescue NSW rushed to the ski resort, where they worked for hours to bring the fire to the two-story building under control. The fire crews had to establish a relay to pump water to the isolated location. No injuries were reported, and there was no need for any evacuations. The fire is not being treated as suspicious, but an investigation into the cause continues.
The fire severely damaged the part of the plant that houses the main controls, pumps, and plant automation. The resort is trying to ascertain the extent of the damage as quickly as possible and what options are available to them moving forward. Wastewater experts will be at the resort early next week to assist resort management in determining next steps.
It is important to note that without a functioning Sewage Treatment Plant, the entire village cannot process wastewater from taps, showers, or toilets. The plant would need to either be prepared or would have to figure out a temporary solution for the ski season which is supposed to kick off in June.
Resort management met with representatives of the National Park and the New South Wales government to assess the situation. Charlotte Pass Village will closed to the public until further notice.
Resort management hopes to provide an update early next week, but the damage to the plant could potentially threaten the 2024 ski season at Charlotte Pass. The resort’s remote location could make finding a timely solution difficult. In addition, any snowfall could impede access to the remote resort, as the road from Perisher Valley to Charlotte Pass is not cleared and is only accessible by the resort’s oversnow vehicles.
