Businesses count the cost of massive commercial fire in Burleigh Heads, Gold Coast

Business owners have been counting the cost after a massive fire at an industrial block last night that saw a huge plume of smoke blanket a southern Gold Coast suburb. SEE THE VIDEO

BUSINESSES are counting the cost of a massive fire which gutted an industrial block at Burleigh Heads overnight.

The damage bill is expected to run into the hundreds of thousands, as business owners begin the devastating job of surveying the damage.

The industrial block, on Taree St, went up in flames around 7.30pm on Thursday.

It took five fire crews more than two hours to extinguish the blaze.

JVM Trimming owner Veon Burke is among those anxiously waiting to see how badly he was hit.

The upholstery business, was directly next to where the fire broke out.

“I turned up with a coffee this morning and this is what I found,” he said.

Smoke lingering over Burleigh as the blaze raged last night. Picture: Brodie Mate

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“I don’t know how bad the damage is, I just want to get in there and find out, I don’t think that will be until this afternoon.”

Mr Burke, who has only worked out of the workshop for a year, fears the worst.

“Our sewing machines are $15,000 each and we also have a caravan in there and personal stuff, yeah, I’m pretty worried,” he said.

Blake Westnidge from Robina is also concerned.

He had been storing his $60,000 excavator, along with a boat and tools on the site.

“I was planning on going fishing today, but I guess that’s not happening now,” he said.

Police and firefighters at the scene this morning.

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It is believed the blaze broke out inside a solar and electrical business.

The block of workshops is also home to a wedding hire shop and truck hire business, which have also suffered smoke damage.

A number of other units on the site are currently vacant.

Police and fire inspectors spent the morning combing the scene for clues as they try to determine what sparked the inferno.

Police and firefighters were this morning investigating what caused the blaze.

Police and fire inspectors spent the morning combing the scene for clues as they try to determine what sparked the inferno.

A smell of electrical burning still lingered over the scene today after the massive blaze.

Nobody was injured in the fire, however nearby residents were forced to close their windows due to smoke which spread through surrounding areas.

JVM Trimming was among the many businesses affected.

Surrounding businesses have band together to support their neighbours.

Local coffee shops Coffee at Dans is donating $1 from every coffee sold until 2.30pm today to the fire victims.

Cory Still said he had spoken to some of the owners this morning.

“We serve all the locals around and we just find is heartbreaking that they’ve lost everything,” he said.

“We came straight down last night, we saw how bad the smoke was so we couldn’t really see much inside but it looks horrendous.

“I’ve never seen anything like this happen in this area before, it was such a shock.”