Lightning destroys Hartley’s Lolly Bug Shoppe

As if government lockdowns from NSW Government’s abject failure in bushfire management and then Australian Government’s abject failure in quarantine to prevent a foreign virus pandemic are not enough?
During a regular La Niña east coast low thunderstorm since February 2020, forked lightning struck Little Hartley at late on Friday night 7th January 2022.  The lighting unfortunately targeted a tree adjacent to the confectionary store ‘The Lolly Bug’ in Little Hartley.  The bolt arcked across to the Colorbond metal roof of the store according to a local eyewitness, and processed to raze the entire premises.
A popular stop for young families on a road trip westward, The Lolly Bug is situated a few kilometres west of the base of Victoria Pass at 2297 Great Western Highway at the hamlet of Little Hartley. Recognisable is the old yellow Volkswagon Bettle car positioned out the front to draw attention to travellers, especially to kids.
The store was established back in 2006 by Sharon and Chloe Tofler, and boasts over 1500 varieties of confectionery from around the world, a unique range of gifts and gourmet goods.
That was in the hancyon good times.
However, since November 2019, it has suffered visitation losses firstly from the bushfire emergency that engulfed the region and indeed the state, then the torrential rains of February 2020, then the China Virus pandemic rolling lockdowns.   
So for more than two years, The Lolly Shop like so many retailers in the region have been ordered by the NSW Government to close their doors to customers.  On their Facebook it has read:
“Due to covid social distancing requirements our cafe area is closed until further notice. We have removed all tables and chairs, both inside and outside.  Takeaway coffee and drinks are still available.”

So on top of all this, the lightning strike of the night of 7th January started a fire inside the timbered premises.

Despite quick calls to emergency fire services by locals and road travellers alike who observed the building alight, the NSW government’s 000 Emergency fire fighting response came too late to save the shop from being razed to the ground.
The fire fighting response had been delegated by Emergency 000 to the nearest fire fighting service.  Initially this was Hartley Bush Fire Brigade located 30 Mid-Hartley Road on the western outskirts of Little Hartley, a mere 3km west of The Lolly Bug site.
Yet despite having two fire fighting appliances present on site, the brigade station was not manned at the time, since as part of the New South Wales Rural Fire Service (RFS), it was only staffed by local volunteers, who would have been at home at the time.

Hartley Bush Fire Bridgade, 30 Mid Hartley Road Hartley – located 3km from The Lolly Bug shop

According to the RFS Hartley Bush Fire Brigade, the Emergency 000 despatch was received by the RFS at about 11.15pm on the Friday night.
But as is usual, there have been no reports of the estimated timing of the lightning strike, compared with the timing of the Emergency 000 first notification of the fire, nor of the notification to the RFS Hartley Bush Fire Brigade, nor to the timing of the arrival of the RFS Hartley Bush Fire Brigade on the fire scene.
A NSW RFS spokesperson said two trucks from Hartley RFS, one from South Bowenfels RFS and one from both Lithgow and Mount Victoria Fire and Rescue NSW quickly arrived on scene to find a well developed fire within the shop.
“Quickly’ is relative, given that in contradiction the found “a well developed fire within the shop”.  The time delay between the lightning strike and arrival of a fire appliancee on the  scene what likely two hours?   Had the response time been more like 12 minutes as in metropolitan Sydney, well the shop could hve been saved.   In 2019/20 the average response time by Fire and Rescue NSW was 12 minutes.  Back in 1994/95 Fire and Rescue NSW annual report noted difficulties in maintaining a 7-minute response time due to Sydney’s expansion, 10 new stations were then built and opened.
Whereas outside metropolitan areas, the NSW Government delegates fire fighting to a mix of professional Fire and Rescue NSW brigades, else to the unpaid volunteeer RFS.  So rural folk are treated a second class citozens when it comes to emergency services – fire fighting, ambulance and police.
The old building didn’t collapse, but all the rooms were impacted, especially the roof space.  The fire has left the family owners and staff of The Lolly Bug “absolutely gutted”…”it is not only a family business, but our heart, soul and passion.  Everything is gone. We will be back, but it will take time.”
This is yet another local Blue Mountains retail business that has suffered at the hands of incompetent government.
Having said that, it is unclear whether the old timber premises had a fire alarm fitted with remote monitoring to the closest professional Fire and Rescue NSW brigade at Mount Victoria, just under 6km away up Mount Victoria Pass.   What also made fire fighting worse was that there was no mains water to the site, according to Chifley and Lithgow RFS operational officer Brett Taylor.