Friday 30 September 2011

Royal destroyed in blaze

Royal engulfed in blaze
Hundreds of onlookers watch inferno
Investigations begin

The Royal Hotel in Mossman is no more.

Fire ravaged the heritage listed pub at around 7pm last night with around 300 onlookers watching in disbelief.

Fire crews from Mossman, Port Douglas, and Cairns attended the blaze, but there was little they could do to save the iconic building from a fiery fate.

'Ditch' Vladich from Queensland Fire and Rescue service was one of 11 firefighters on the scene which he knew would be spectacular well before arriving in Mossman.

"Coming along the highway, from about the tip turnoff, you could see a plume of smoke and we thought it was the mill. Then we looked and there was two plumes of smoke, one was the mill and one was the pub.

"When we arrived the Mossman crew had already arrived."

He praised the public for their behaviour and said that they assisted fire crews by not obstructing the scene.

"We turned up there must have been 300 people there watching what was going on with video cameras and cameras just going off everywhere.

"Everyone was cool. They were on the other side of the road doing the right thing."

Mr Vladich conveyed the enormity of the event for those involved in tackling the inferno.

"It was one of those things where, for those who attended that job, I don't think in our life time we'll have the experience of standing in front of a heritage listed pub and watch it burn to the ground.

"It was such a different feeling from an apartment or a house.

"All we could do was surround and drown."

Onlooker, Gary Hunt, was enjoying a dinner with family at nearby d's Steakhouse when his sister noticed

"My sister just went out to make a phone call and saw the fire. At that stage the fire was on the top floor.

"By the time we walked from d's to the hotel it was totally alight. It started on the top floor and spread to the bottom floor before the guys (fire crews) had a chance to get there.

"It happened so quickly, it's no reflection on them.

"It's so unbelievably rapid. Within a few minutes it had gone from being on the top floor to being completely engulfed."

Crews remained on the scene throughout the night to douse spot fires, and investigations into the cause of the fire have commenced.

Images by Sonia Lukin. Last image by Gary Hunt.

Related stories: The aftermath

Where you at the scene? Tell us about your experience or send us you photos or video footage to editor@thenewsport.com.au

Have your say!

We ask you to provide your full name and valid email address to ensure your comments' legitimacy is acknowledged. Editor reserves the right to amend comments in accordance with Publisher’s Terms and Conditions. Click here for full publishers terms and conditions for reader comments.

Thomas , 03-10-11 14:01:

I feel sorry for the owner/developer, he must have hoped the police/insurance investigators would determine what caused the fire, and then suddenly by Sunday morning there's nothing left to investigate, all gone. The above mentioned investigators must have worked overtime to discover what caused the fire in such a short time.

Pam Burden, 01-10-11 21:20:

The Douglas Shire Historical Society was working with the owner/developer and Cairns Regional Council to keep the historic hotel and incorporate it into his new development. The Jensen house next door was on the Council's heritage list, but we believe the Royal had been removed after previous owners approached certain councillors on the Douglas Shire Council. The new owner asked to relocate the Jensen house and withdrew his demolition application on the pub. So a 'horse trade' was agreed upon. Now that we've lost both the Jensen house and the pub, we would like the developer to rebuild in the style of the old Royal, which was the most photographed building in Mossman. Would anyone like to sign a petition to the owner/developer to this effect?

Abi Swann, 30-09-11 19:20:

Why designate an old building as heritage listed if there are no immediate plans to preserve it? I think it is high time our historical buildings were treasured, because once they are gone you can never get them back. Yes a new building may take it's place, but it will never have the same charm that years of history creates.

Gail Shaw, 30-09-11 17:04:

Sad old day indeed Peter-- and your comment Mick Mighell is spot on. This developer should be hauled over the red hot coals that are all that remain of the iconic Royal Hotel for his disregard and disrespect for Mossman's heritage and also for the people of this town. There is also little cause for hope that he will construct anything of value for this site given the building (from the cheap and nasty bomb shelter school of architecture) he has recently constructed on the corner site. So far, like him, it's an empty shell.

philip dalziel, 30-09-11 14:42:

the new owners must be devestated what with all their restoration plans and what could have caused it ?,no power to the site ,no lightning around ,no vandals,hope you were (heavily) insured would hate to see a developer out of pocket

Mick Mighell, 30-09-11 11:11:

Queensland needs an urgent review of heritage laws and procedures so that listed buildings are not simply left vulnerable to arson and deterioration by owners who recognise the commercial value of the site but not the the heritage value of the building.

Peter Wood, 30-09-11 10:05:

Sad old day!