A former RSL building in a small North Queensland community has been destroyed by fire, months after it was sold to a not-for-profit organisation.
Emergency Services were called to the building on Central Street in Sarina at about 12:30pm on Wednesday.
There was significant concern for neighbouring buildings and it took 12 crews several hours to bring the fire under control.
Locals were asked to stay indoors and close their windows to avoid smoke inhalation.
A Queensland Fire and Emergency spokesman said it was likely the fire started in the building's kitchen.
It's understood the building had been sold to the not-for-profit organisation Selectability, an NDIS supplier of mental health and suicide support services, and was undergoing renovations.
All occupants were evacuated safely from the area.
Built by diggers
Former President of the Sarina RSL, Ronald Gurnett, said he handed over the keys to the building in mid-January.
"A lot of the diggers built that building years ago … in about 1964," he said.
"In the old days there was no such thing as mental health … the old diggers' way of combating that was to get together with like-minded people, sit down and have a beer."
Mr Gurnett said it was devastating to have to shut up shop this year.
"The past few years we didn't have enough support to stay open and COVID put the nail in the coffin," he said.
"We'll start a new sub branch hopefully in the near future.
"It's pretty important for the welfare of the ex-members to have somewhere to go for their welfare needs."
