Fire destroys local landmark in Yass with arrest made within 24 hours

Photo at top: Barry O’Mara’s aerial photo of the fire-gutted Commercial Hotel, Yass, May 2023

The Commercial Hotel, Yass was found ablaze at 2 am, Monday the 22nd of May. Circa 1840-1850, a previously quite famous pub and hotel, the building had been left abandoned for over a decade and passed multiple hands before a ‘first option to redevelop’ was secured in 2021 by a consortium – Investment Management Group headed up by Canberra entrepreneur Andrew Turnbull who grew up in Yass.

Mayor Allan McGrath, former mayor Rowena Abbey, police inspector David Cowell, Yass Fire and Rescue NSW Captain Scott Lang, and members of the public spoke to the Yass Valley Times about the building’s history, what it meant to the town, the fire itself, and what to expect moving forward. 

 

Starting with the blaze itself, Yass Fire and Rescue Captain Scott Lang and firefighter Ryan Terry talked about the call-out, response, firefighting, and damage caused, with Ryan giving the early details;

 

“At approximately 2 am this morning, we were called to a building fire, being the commercial hotel, and upon arrival, there was smoke and flames from the roof and windows. Approximately thirty firefighters from fire and rescue units from RFS and the ACT came across to assist.”

 

 “It probably took about two hours to control the fire”

 

 “The hotel is closed off and being investigated by the police”. 

 

Captain Scott Lang spoke further on the firefighting process, detailing the methods, equipment, and local/regional support.

 

He said, “We required additional fire and rescue crews who responded from Boorowa, Young, and special aerial appliances from Wagga Wagga, as well as some additional resources from ACT Fire & Rescue, and The Rural Fire Service.”

 

 Due to the nature of the building and fire, notably structural damage, the initial planning and combating of the fire proved difficult.

“Access to the fire was difficult due to the structural integrity of the building. That’s why the specialised aerial appliance was called in, to obtain access to the roof from above which had collapsed, as well as the use of a drone which was used to provide live footage to help us work out an attack plan”, Scott stated. 

 

Scott noted that such buildings are not necessarily at risk, but rather that “each building has its own characteristics which makes it difficult. The difficult thing with this was the fact that it was so large. The roof had collapsed and we weren’t able to gain internal access to get to the hard-to-reach spots”, explained Scott. 

 

Nearby buildings, such as the Terry Brothers Carpet Store, had minor water and smoke damage, with the former caused by firehouses rather than any malfunctions. The store is expected to remain closed for a short duration to accommodate repairs. 

 

On damage and risk posed to nearby buildings, Captain Scott Lang commented on the close call.

 

“Given the common walls that separate the buildings on the main street, had the fire not been controlled quickly there was the potential for further fire spread to the retail and residential parts, since it sits above the shops on the main street. The crew was able to stop the fire from spreading to the nearby buildings, such as the retail buildings.”

 

Police Inspector David Cowell commented on police involvement early in the morning, stating that the early involvement amounted to support work.

 

“The firies, it’s their scene, so the police just assist with crime scene and traffic duties”, commented David. However, David confirms that police investigations will be undertaken and they commenced at 9 am on Monday.

 

“It’s a serious matter in that a crime scene is being held and it will be investigated by detectives from the Hume P.D. 

 

UPDATED – Arrest made Tuesday

A man will appear in court today (Tuesday 23 may 2023) charged with arson after an old hotel was extensively damaged during a fire at Yass yesterday (Monday 22 May)

Around 2 am emergency services were called to Comur Street, Yass, following reports of a fire.

Fire and Rescue NSW attended and extinguished the blaze; however, the building was extensively damaged, while one neighbouring property received water damage.

The property was vacant at the time and there were no reports of injuries.

Officers from The Hume Police District established a crime scene and commenced an investigation into the cause of the fire.

Following inquiries and a public appeal for information, police arrested a 20-year-old man at a nearby address on Comur Street, around 2pm that day.

The man was taken to Yass Police Station and charged with ‘damage property by fire or explosion greater than $15,000.’

He was refused bail to appear at Goulburn Local Court today (Tuesday 23 May 2023).

 

Yass Council closed Comur Street and provided a number of media releases. They stated, “In response to a safety assessment, temporary fencing has been installed and the car parking in front of the Commercial Hotel and to the side of the building on Lead Street, has been closed off to cars and pedestrians until further notice.” Editor’s note – the road reopened Monday evening.

 

Regarding early and on-sight reactions to the Commercial Hotel fire, many community members spoke on their feelings and reactions, with Mayor Allan McGrath speaking on his initial reactions to the news.

He said, “I’m shocked, I heard about it at seven in the morning”, said Allan. Speaking on what the building was before its abandonment and eventual engulfment in flames, Allan and others reminisced, saying, “It’s been vacant for a long time and heavily vandalised……I’m hopeful that something can be salvaged from it, there is hope that this might finally galvanise something about it”, said Allan, speaking of how its abandonment left it open to tragic accidents such as this. Allan recalled the Commercial Hotel prior to the fire.

 

“It used to be a very vibrant and popular venue, I can remember parties along the main street, people on the balcony cheering. It’s been pretty sad to see it decline over the last ten years or so”, said Allan. 

 

Former Mayor Rowena Abbey shared the sentiment, dismayed at the incident.

 

“It’s really disappointing to see that it’s got to this, I think everybody has been waiting with anticipation and excitement for the proposed redevelopment of the site, it’s a very big site and has been a bit of an eye sore for a while, so the community has been hopeful and waiting to bring this end of the main street back to life”, said Rowena. 

Mayor Allan McGrath commented on the potential impact the fire may have on the appeal of Yass’s main street, with hopes the eventual repair will rejuvenate the main street. 

 

 “There’s quite a variety of buildings in the immediate area, they’re wonderful buildings and very significant to the street. It does have an impact on the main street, I’m hoping this might galvanise them. 

 

On whether the fire will result in the complete demolition of the Commercial Hotel, Allan is hopeful it will return in some form. He said, “I hope that’s not the case, there are some large sturdy walls in there and the facade seems to be intact, although mind you, it’s a matter of what’s to be assessed by the people with the expertise to make that judgement. I do hope that it can be retained and redeveloped. It is a prime location after all”, said Allan. 

 

Once again the sentiment is shared by former mayor Rowena Abbey, with Rowena stating the worst-case scenario is “That they just knock it down and leave it until they figure out what to do with it. I think to knock it down and just leave a great gaping space in town would be the worst thing we could see”, said Rowena, sharing Allan’s optimism on its redevelopment;

“I hope the current owners get excited about rebuilding and reinvigorating this site very soon.” However, Rowena remains cautious about whether the building can survive if its basic foundations are damaged, observing that, “First of all they need to have someone see if structurally it’s stable enough to keep part of it. The problem is it’s difficult to know how safe it is now to try and rebuild.”   

Local residents have also commented on their dismay, both over the fire and the buildings decline, with resident Mary Cochrane commenting, “It was a nice old pub once upon a time with a lovely veranda, New Year’s Eve parties, there would be people in the pub, people on the balcony, it was fun”, summarised Mary. 

“Whatever it was is gone, and that’s sad because I like to think it was something historical and worth keeping”

On preventing fires in the home, firefighter Ryan Terry gave a timely reminder, “At this time of the year, working smoke alarms save lives is the biggest message we can put out, and make sure your chimneys are clean.”

Griffin Palen