Published on : Monday, September 24, 2018
The only pub in the small, quiet town at the end of the Puffing Billy railway line was gutted by the fire shortly after 6 a.m.
Flames tore through the Ranges Hotel, build in 1896, and smoke could be seen from several kilometres away. Dozens of firefighters were called to the town near Emerald and Cockatoo, more than 50kms from the Melbourne CBD.
The cause of the fire is not yet known and there are not believed to be any injuries.
The Country Fire Authority says the building was “fully involved” but there is no threat to the community.
The Ranges Hotel’s website describes the pub as “one of Gembrook’s prized possessions”. It closed for several years and reopened in 2016 after significant renovations.
Anyone experiencing wheezing, chest tightness and difficulty breathing should call Triple Zero 000.
The heritage-listed hotel at the last stop of Melbourne’s Puffing Billy steam train ride has been destroyed by fire, devastating local residents.
Locals spotted smoke coming from The Ranges Hotel, on Main Road in Gembrook, around dawn, and the CFA said it was well alight when the first crews arrived just after 6:00 a.m.
Videos on social media showed flames coming through the building’s roof, and smoke could be seen as far away as Cranbourne, about 40 kilometres to the south-west.
About 50 firefighters and more than a dozen vehicles were called to the scene, and managed to bring the fire under control shortly before 8:30am.
First opened in 1896, the hotel was reopened after a major renovation two years ago, but now stands in ruins after the fire tore through its roof cavity.
The fire did not touch the hotel’s accommodation section.
The cause of the fire is yet to be determined.
Emergency Management Victoria said the fire had not posed a threat to the community.