The historic Imperial Hotel in Gatton has been gutted and several businesses damaged in an early morning blaze in the town in Queensland's Lockyer Valley.
Firefighters arrived at the Imperial Hotel just before 1:00am (AEST) to find it engulfed in flames and partially collapsed.
The blaze quickly spread to the top floor of an adjoining clothes store that was being converted to a gym, with other neighbouring businesses have smoke and water damage.
Every available firefighter in the township of about 7,000 responded to the emergency.
Firefighters said the Imperial Hotel was undergoing renovations and that no-one was inside when the blaze broke out.
Fire Inspector Darryl Rush said the blaze was so intense a number of firefighters had to be treated for heat exhaustion.
"An example of some of the heat that was being radiated at this incidence - one of the appliances that was parked approximately 25 metres [away] had one of the decals on the side of the door start to crinkle and melt of the fire door," he said.
Inspector Rush said reinforcements had to be called in from across the region to help battle the blaze.
"At the peak of the incidence there was 11 appliances on scene and 35 firefighters on scene," he said.
"The premise is completely collapsed - basically what we can see at the moment is concrete stumps and section of roofing."
Some streets around the area, including parts of Railway Terrace, remain closed.
Lockyer MP Ian Rickuss said it was a devastating scene.
"There is virtually nothing left of the Imperial Hotel - it is all on the ground," he said.
Crews remain at the scene trying to dampen down the ruins.
It is not known what sparked the blaze
Source http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-11-05/imperial-hotel-destroyed-buildings-damaged-major-fire-gatton/6913686