Video of Little Hay Golf Club fire as smoke billows out

Oliver Offredy was playing at the Little Hay Golf Complex in Box Lane, Bovingdon, on Monday (August 5) while a fire broke out in the greenkeepers’ shed at around 6.30pm.

Five fire engines raced to tackle the blaze in the large outbuilding, used for storing essential maintenance equipment, and firefighters worked until 8.30pm to extinguish it.

Watch the video below:

Oliver said somebody mentioned a “car being on fire” while he was practicing at the driving range, and he saw “dark smoke pouring” from an adjacent building when he went to check.

“Even though it can’t have been ablaze for long, you could feel the heat and smell the strong smell of smoke,” he added.

Golfers rush to safety as smoke covers the golf club shed. (Image: Oliver Offredy) Nobody was reported as injured and an investigation into the cause took place yesterday, although it has yet to be established.

Footage taken by Oliver shows black smoke billowing from a metal shed as golf club members flee the scene in car and by foot.

Fire engines refilled at a hydrant in Bovingdon High Street as it took almost two hours to extinguish the blaze. (Image: Audrey Stent) All the members on site were evacuated and Matt Schofield from the Little Hay Golf Complex said they were “thankful” nobody was injured. 

He added: “We are working closely with the investigation team to understand the cause of the fire and are committed to restoring full operations as soon as possible. 

Firefighters in the High Street. (Image: Daniel Whittaker) “We appreciate the patience and understanding of our visitors during this time and hope to have the driving range back up and running in a few days."

While the main golf course remains open, the driving range near to the site of the fire will remain closed until further notice “to ensure the safety of all visitors”. 

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The greenskeeper's shed contained all the club's maintenance machinery. (Image: Oliver Offredy) Club staff have been praised for their actions during the fire as Oliver said they were “great at evacuating people and guiding everyone away quickly”.

“Staff were brilliant and got everyone away to safety,” another club member said. “The fire took hold really quickly. Probably less than 3 minutes before it was engulfed.”

Assistant Chief Fire Officer Mark Barber said: “This was a difficult fire for our firefighters to tackle, and a poor water supply meant we had to bring in a water bowser and high-volume pump. 

“Our crews also faced a number of hazards in the building, and I’d like to thank the firefighters who bravely worked to bring the fire under control.”