Nunamara fire victim to return

Business owner Kerrie Sinclair outside the Nunamara General Store, recently gutted by fire; (inset) inside the fire ravaged store.

December 13, 2023

Forensic fire investigators from Adelaide will be on site at the fire devastated Nunamara General Store on Thursday to determine insurance pay outs, as the owners and operators plan to rise from the ashes.

The inferno last Wednesday afternoon was heartbreaking for business owner Kerrie Sinclair to witness, just weeks after losing her husband Doug and after financially surviving a tough 12 months with the closure of the Sideling to heavy trucks while upgrades are completed.

“It’s been pretty rotten,” Mrs Sinclair said.

“The building has to come down. It gutted the shop area and went into the house through the roof.

“The landlords have come down from NSW and they look like they are in shock but they have said they will rebuild.

“I feel so bad for them because there was nothing I could do to stop it.

“Once they get it rebuilt and do up a new lease I will be back and hopefully keep it going because it means a lot to me. I have worked there for nearly 20 years and we have had it for seven years.”

Staff noticed the fire, which started as a result of faulty wiring in the roof cavity, and called Triple 0 at 12.20pm.

“When I came over the hill and saw the smoke I said ‘there goes my life’ but thankfully everyone was safe,” she said

“The forensic fire investigators will come for the insurance on Thursday but the money will take a while to come through so my two employees will have to go and find other jobs while we wait which is hard.”

Post usually collected at Nunamara will now be available at Kings Meadows Post Office.