Caulfield Racecourse grandstand engulfed in early morning blaze

A fire broke out at Caulfield Racecourse’s grandstand early Tuesday morning, swiftly managed by Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV).

Starting at 6:20 AM, the blaze was under control by 7:09 AM, with FRV escalating to a third-alarm level and deploying 11 emergency vehicles.

The fire, contained within the grandstand’s center on Station Street, prompted a smoke warning for nearby Melbourne suburbs, though no immediate public threat was reported.

MRC Chairman John Kanga confirmed that a fire broke out around 6am and has since been brought under control.

“No staff have been hurt which is a great thing. There’s a lot of smoke, a lot of water coming through,” Kanga stated during an interview with RSN.

“It’s been contained in the Hiskens Stand and not the main grandstand.

“I don’t know (what the damage is yet). There’s no damage to the track, it’s been contained to the grandstand.”

Local authorities and the Melbourne Racing Club are investigating the cause and assessing the damage.

Further details are expected as the investigation progresses.

Massive fire at Caulfield racecourse in grandstand for updates tune into @RSN927 pic.twitter.com/cuSZQ8kpee

— Michael Felgate (@m_felgate) January 6, 2025