Spicers kitchen goes up in smoke

An historic Queensland resort has been partially destroyed by fire. 

Nine fire crews attended the blaze this week at the Spicers Hidden Vale resort in the Lockyer Valley west of Brisbane.

Thought to have started as a kitchen fire, a spokeswoman it was unclear at this stage how much of the Grandchester property had been damaged in the blaze. 

A Queensland Police Service spokeswoman said all 77 guests and 18 staff had been evacuated and were accounted for. 

Hidden Vale is the flagship property in the Spicers group of eight resorts, owned by Flight Centre founder Graham Turner and his wife Jude.

“The restaurant has burnt down,” Mr Turner told the Queensland Times.

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“All I know is there was some sort of combustible event in the kitchen ceiling.

“There was no-one hurt thank goodness and 90 per cent of the property is still intact.”

The restaurant is part of a homestead built in the 1930s when the original building was lost in a blaze.

A fire investigation determined there were no suspicious circumstances, but the exact cause was still to be determined.

In a statement, Spicers group managing director David Assef said: “We will rebuild and will be back up and operating as soon as possible.

“Fortunately, we have a range of facilities onsite to cater for immediate future guests.”