Ferocious blaze destroys heritage-listed Townsville pub

Townsville's heritage-listed Great Northern Hotel has partially collapsed after it was gutted by fire on Friday morning. The structure, built in 1900, had been shuttered since a fire in 2015. Firefighters spent hours at the scene and prevented the flames from reaching a popular nearby cafe. A heritage-listed hotel has been destroyed in a fire that shut down the Townsville central business district on Friday morning. A Public Safety Preservation Act was declared at 8:40am and Queensland Police warned residents to avoid the streets surrounding the Great Northern Hotel. Queensland Fire Department (QFD) crews were called to the fire at 6:14am and spent four hours working to bring the blaze under control. A QFD spokesperson said the fire had been contained and that the Great Northern Hotel had partially collapsed. The hotel was built in 1900 but had been closed since a fire in 2015. The family who owns the pub have told the ABC they are deeply devastated by the fire. A spokesperson said the venue was truly loved by the Townsville community.