Fire destroys heritage-listed Great Northern Hotel in Townsville
In Townsville, Australia, a fire destroyed the heritage-listed Great Northern Hotel. Following the fire, the building partially collapsed. The blaze broke out on Friday morning.
Four hours battling the fire
Queensland Fire Department units received the call at 6:14. Firefighters spent four hours bringing the fire under control. A service spokesperson said the fire had been contained, but the hotel building had partially collapsed.
Due to the fire, operations in Townsville's central business district were suspended. A special public safety regime was declared at 8:40, and Queensland Police urged residents to avoid streets near the Great Northern Hotel. Smoke from the fire blanketed the city centre for several hours.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
The building had been closed since 2015
The hotel was built in 1900, but it was closed after a previous fire in 2015. According to ABC News Australia, firefighters prevented the flames from spreading to a popular nearby café, although smoke and high temperatures damaged the establishment.
The family that owns the pub told ABC that it was deeply saddened by the fire. A representative of the owners said the venue had been truly beloved by the Townsville community.
