Emergency Services attending the scene of the fire at the So Dance Studio. Photo by Peter Neve.
Only two years since the disastrous flood events in 2022, the regions has been hit by another flashflood this week, with Junee seeing a significant storm followed by a fire that burned down the dance studio So Dance. Locals are now rallying around those affected as the community looks to rebuild after a traumatic period.
The streets were turned to small bodies of water within minutes and the damage was so severe Junee High School remained closed for the day, telling students to remain at home.
Just when the storms had stopped, local studio So Dance caught fire. Emergency Services were called to Lisgar Street where they worked to prevent any further damage.
Local Fire and Rescue NSW and NSW Rural Fire Service crews attended including crews from Coolamon and Wagga. Junee Fire and Rescue were first to attend, supported about a half hour later by Old Junee, then Turvey Park. A bystander at the scene who spoke to the Junee Independent said there was a thick layer of smoke covering everything. They could not see or smell anything other than smoke.
The neighbouring building, the Senior Citizen’s Hall reported no damage at the time of the interview. The fire reportedly also did not touch Glass’s Hardware. Already the community have showed support for the studio, with Junee Netball Club saying they stand with So Dance.
“Our hearts go out to Miss Shannon and the entire So Dance Junee family after the devastating loss of your studio to fire. We can only imagine the heartbreak you’re feeling, and we want you to know that the Junee Netball community stands beside you during this difficult time.
“Dance is more than just a place—it’s a home, a family, and a source of joy. The strong spirit of So Dance will remain unshaken. If there’s anything we can do to support you, please reach out.
“Sending all our love, strength, and support to Miss Shannon, her dancers, and their families. You are not alone.”
Chad Kennis of Junee Fire and Rescue spoke to the Junee Independent about the incident.
“At approximately 10.30am we started receiving numerous 000 calls to a building alight in Lisgar Street in Junee. Being so close to the fire station we were on scene within a couple of minutes and the first crew that arrived from Junee were confronted with a heavily smoke logged building with smoke issuing from all sides of the building,” he said.
“They have quickly sent a priority message to get a few more appliances on route to that incident and they have started to attack the fire.
“In the final wash up we had approximately 25 Fire and Rescue NSW firefighters and probably 20 firefighters from the Rural Fire Service assisting us and they have done an exceptional job to limit the damage especially given the shop next door and the potential for the fire to expand into that premises and with some of the contents in there it could have been much worse.”
Kennis said the cause of the fire is undetermined at this stage.
“There were a few structural integrity issues preventing us from being able to investigate it too much. We have put up some temporary fencing around the site and marked it with some hazardous tape and we handed it over to the Police, so the building is currently in the possession of NSW Police who have made it a crime scene and they will conduct further investigations to see if they can find a cause and origin of the fire.
“We had crews from Coolamon, Narrandera, Temora and Wagga come to assist and it is always heartening to see those crews work together for a community, be it their own community or one of their neighbouring towns. It always gives you a great amount of pleasure to come together.
“Whilst the loss of the building and the Dance School is devastating for the owners and for the community, it could have been much worse. We do take some joy that it didn’t expand beyond what it could have and what had already been damaged.
“I’d like to thank the community as we had to shut the power down for our safety and to assist with firefighting operations for an extended period of time and that affects local businesses. The Chemist had to close, theAg ’n Vet had to close, we had to evacuate the Hardware, and there were never any complaints or gripes from the community, they were so supportive of the operation and how we went about it.
“We extend a big thank you to the community for their understanding and for their patience while we made that area safe.”
“I am deeply saddened by the devastating fire that has destroyed the So Dance Studio and Brick Land Sewing Studio in Junee, a building with significant historical value to our community. My thoughts are with the affected businesses and residents during this difficult time. I commend the efforts of our emergency services, including NSW Fire & Rescue, Rural Fire Service, and local responders, who worked tirelessly to contain the blaze and protect nearby buildings. An investigation into the cause of the fire is underway, and I urge residents to follow safety advice regarding smoke in the area.
“Junee is a resilient community, and together, we will recover from this setback.”
-Jack Murray
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