"IT'S not much fun" is how fruit grower Peter West described the aftermath of a fire which razed a large storage shed on one of the family's properties on Saturday morning.
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Orange Fire and Rescue and Rural Fire Service brigades from Towac, Borenore and North West attended the fire at the property Doralyn on Cargo Road at around 6.30am on Saturday but the shed was well alight on arrival.
Orange Station Officer Tom Fenlon said the roof had already collapsed when crews arrived.
While still assessing the damage, Mr West, who is a member of the Westcastle Partnership which runs the 109 acre Doralyn property and another on Canobolas Road, said two forklifts, two tractors and more than 100 cherry bins had been lost in the fire.
"Then you've got several air compressors, there was an ATV motorbike, fertilizer spreader and a few other things," he said.
"What we'll probably find later on, is there are things in the shed that you didn't realise are missing, when you look to do something."
Mr West said the shed itself wasn't insured due to its age but the majority of the contents should be covered with the exception of the cherry crates.
He agreed the cherry crates probably enabled the fire to take hold quickly.
"I'd imagine so, yes, it was pretty spectacular," said.
Station officer Fenlon said there were no suspicious circumstances surround the fire and said the likely cause was rodents chewing through electrical wiring.
Mr West said there was no rush to rebuild the shed but replacing some of the equipment would be critical.
"That's the issue yes. The main problem is the cab-tractor, the spray season will start next month so we need a cab tractor pretty soon. The other things we can manage. We can chase up cherry bins from elsewhere.
Westcastle's packing shed is at Canobolas Road property.
The two caravans lost in the fire were used to accommodate pickers but Mr West said there were others at the Canobolas property that could be used.
He said the fire fighters managed to protect a slasher which was next the shed and nearby fruit trees.
"It's just a mess," he said.
Mr West said the alarm was raised by a neighbour who saw smoke coming from the shed and phoned the occupant of the nearby dwelling, who in turned called the fire brigade.
The orchard produces mainly apples and cherries.
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Kate Bowyer
Kate Bowyer is a senior reporter at the Central Western Daily.
Kate Bowyer is a senior reporter at the Central Western Daily.
