Fire rips through distinctive Queensland highway hotel

Fire rips through Falvey's Sundowner Saloon on Warrego HighwayPosted Thu 3 Sep 2026 at 1:28pmThu 3 Sep 2026 at 1:28pmFlames ripped through the landmark pub on the main highway between Brisbane and Toowoomba. (ABC Southern Queensland: Dan McCray)In short:Fire has engulfed Falvey's Sundowner Saloon on the Warrego Highway at Haigslea, west of Ipswich.Emergency crews responded to the blaze.What's next?The cause of the fire has not been established.Fire has ripped through a landmark pub on the main highway between Brisbane and Toowoomba, and a worker at the scene has been treated for smoke inhalation.Falvey's Sundowner Saloon, a bright pink pub on the Warrego Highway at Haigslea, was left with significant damage, including a partially collapsed roof, after the fire broke out at 8.30am.Firefighters work to contain the blaze. (ABC News: Dan McCray)Queensland Fire Department Acting Inspector Dan Skellern said crews were met with thick black smoke. "They went into action to confirm all occupants were accounted for," he said.Part of the roof collapsed during the fire. (ABC Southern Queensland: Dan McCray)He said items including carpets and poker machines contributed to the fire load, with six fire vehicles and two specialist vehicles attending the incident."We had to allocate significant resources to combat the fire due to the fuel loads internally," he said.He said a staff member who was on site when the fire started was assessed for smoke inhalation after attempting to fight the fire before emergency crews arrived.Dan Skellern says a worker from inside the building was treated for smoke inhalation. (ABC Southern Queensland: Dan McCray)Acting Inspector Skellern said the fire had been contained to the pub and had not spread to the adjoining bottle shop.Firefighters had the blaze under control before 11am. (ABC Southern Queensland: Dan McCray)A nearby petrol station was also evacuated as a precaution after toxic smoke began travelling towards the site.Fuel supplies at the service station were isolated to remove any potential risk.The cause of the fire is yet to be established.