Thieves break into The Lussh wedding venue that was destroyed in Woolloongabba fire

The owner of the Woolloongabba wedding venue which was gutted by fire says her business has now been broken into with fridges smashed and alcohol stolen, as new images of the destroyed building surface.

Thieves have targeted a popular inner-Brisbane venue that was destroyed in a massive blaze last week, as the owners of the business seek to rebuild.
It is alleged that looters have broken into The Lussh venue and stole items, while causing further damage to the building which was destroyed by a fire, which started in an abandoned building at Hubert St, Woolloongabba at 4.20pm on Wednesday.

The Lussh’s 100-year-old heritage Woolloongabba venue and two neighbouring buildings were destroyed by the fire.

The heritage listed buildings were gutted after Wednesday’s fire. Picture: 9 News

Investigators from the Queensland Fire Department determined that the blaze ignited in an abandoned building being used for shelter by homeless people.

The fire gutted the building, causing some of it to collapse, with serious damage to the roof of another building.

Flames then spread to The Lussh warehouse wedding venue, causing its roof to collapse.

The fire has left owner Maree Henry scrambling to find alternative venues for couples that had planned to get married at the heritage venue.

Multiple fire units spray water on buildings on fire in Hubert St. Picture: Steve Pohlner

Now, the venue has been targeted by looters, which broke into the building, smashed fridges and taken all its alcohol.

Ms Henry said it adds to the challenges faced by her business as it seeks to rise from the ashes.

The Lussh building following the fire. Photo: Supplied

“They’ve broken in and they’ve smashed the fridges and taken the alcohol out of the building,” she told The Courier-Mail.

“It’s at that point where I’ve just gone, ‘Oh my God,’ what else is the universe going to throw at me?

“It was almost like a bit of a tipping point, you just got to take a breath and then regroup.”

Police and fire investigators picture at the scene of the Woolloongabba fire. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen

Ms Henry said herself and her team were taking it day-by-day.

“We are trying to find the pathway forward, we were really booked out,” she said.

“The office is at my home now, there’s like 10 of us, and everyone is around the table, we are working basically around the clock.

“We’ve had a lot of beautiful vendors offer stuff, but then we’ve had to pick stuff up from Geebung and then pick it up from the Gold Coast.

“We have actually found a venue that we could work with, that we think that our couples will be happy with.

“There’s hundreds of our clients that we’re trying to get to because obviously they’re sympathetic for a little while, but everyone wants to know, you know, what’s happening in their life and their plan.”

The Lussh building following the fire. Photo: Supplied

Ms Henry added that her heart went out to the owners of the building and her staff.

“Firstly, I am so grateful that my team are all safe as we were all inside the venue at the time.

“My heart is broken: for the person who was injured; for our wedding couples and clients; for my staff; and for the loss of our beloved venue.

“My heart goes out to the owners of our building who are now faced with the mammoth task of rebuilding.

“Most importantly right at this moment, our number one priority is our hundreds of wedding couples who have invested so much both financially and emotionally into their milestone day.”

The Lussh building following the fire. Photo: Supplied

In a tragic turn of events, Ms Henry added that they weren’t insured for the fire.

“We were insured for floods and a lot of other things, but not for fire,” she told 612 ABC Radio Brisbane.

“So we’re actually really trying to salvage, you know, anything we possibly can out of that space.”

Originally published as Thieves break into The Lussh wedding venue that was destroyed in Woolloongabba fire