News

Historic city building gutted

May 03, 2009 Edition 1

Lynnette Johns

A HISTORIC building in the central city went up in flames yesterday after a chip fryer caught alight.

The Touchstone building, on the corner of Bree and Mechau streets, is the last surviving example of industrial architecture in the heart of the CBD.

The late Victorian neo-classical building, which until yesterday housed a take-away, scooter shop, architects, IT company and chemical manufacturer, still had its original oregon timber beams, doors and floors.

No-one was injured in the blaze. When the fire broke out shortly after 10am only the take-away and Moto Mia were open.

Heritage consultant Ashley Lillie said consultants had fought to protect the building from developers because of its significance.

Hundreds of people saw flames leaping from the building as firemen battled to contain the blaze.

The city's fire and rescue divisional commander Denzil Ramedies said the fire broke out when a chip fryer in Malika's take-away on the ground floor caught alight.

Ramedies said even though an investigation would be done, it appeared the flames were sucked into the flue which runs the length of the building, setting the wooden floors alight.

He said flues were often caked with fat from chip fryers, which fuelled the flames.

Ramedies said they had 12 vehicles on the scene.

The dry timber floors meant the fire spread quickly in the building, he added.