Century-old hotel in outback Queensland destroyed by fire
A heritage-listed hotel in outback Queensland that was more than one century-old has been destroyed by fire overnight.
Emergency services were called to the Grand Hotel on Gray Street at 9.30 pm following reports that the building, at Hughenden, south-west from Townsville, was on fire.
On arrival, the hotel was well alight and the building was destroyed.
There was also damage to a house next door and a business across the road.
A Queensland Fire and Emergency Service spokeswoman said police and a State Emergency Service team evacuated neighbours nearby while two QFES crews extinguishied the flames.
She said no one was in the hotel at the time of the fire.
Police have guarded the scene overnight while firefighters continually checked for hot spots flaring.
The QFES spokeswoman said crews left the scene at 8am on Saturday and left it in the hands of police.
Specialist officers were expected to attend the site on Saturday to continue investigating the cause of the fire.
The Grand Hotel, built in 1910, was described as the earliest surviving hotel in the town of Hughenden over the years and was an example of western Queensland hotel architecture.
According to the Queensland Heritage Listed Register, the timber hotel was a landmark that helped define not only the township, but the western region.
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