Melbourne restaurant Stokehouse destroyed by fire - ABC Local

Updated January 18, 2014 07:00:29

Melbourne's high-profile Stokehouse restaurant has burnt down after a blaze broke out in the kitchen last night.

The fire started just after 11:00pm and quickly spread to the second floor of the recently refurbished wooden building on the St Kilda foreshore.

Around 200 patrons were dining in the restaurant, but all customers and staff escaped without injury.

More than 70 firefighters battled for three hours to control the blaze.

The fire is still burning and crews will remain at the scene throughout the day.

Metropolitan Fire Brigade spokesman Dave McCurdy says the fire was so intense that crews were forced to pull out.

"The roof collapsed reasonably early," he said.

"Once the roof has collapsed it's difficult for firefighters to do an internal attack and our aerial attack has been hindered by the roof iron that's still in place.

"So we're having difficulty actually getting to the seat of the fire. There's still smoke in the area. Fire brigade will have a presence here for most of the day."

Early estimates put the damage bill at close to $2 million.

Jacka Boulevard will be closed for most of the day.

Topics: fires, disasters-and-accidents, st-kilda-3182, vic, australia

First posted January 18, 2014 06:36:13