Man seriously injured, The Lussh wedding venue destroyed in Woolloongabba inferno

A man was rushed to hospital after a massive blaze in Brisbane’s inner-south spread to at least three buildings, including the popular Lussh wedding venue, on Wednesday afternoon.

Another person was still unaccounted for on Thursday morning, as investigators returned to the scene and sought CCTV footage from neighbouring businesses.

Police were forced to declare a public emergency and closed off several streets, after the Woolloongabba blaze sent thick smoke over the city’s southside during the evening peak hour.

Fifteen fire crews were battling the blaze well into the night, with police and paramedics also on the scene.

A Queensland Ambulance Service spokeswoman said a man suffering burns to his airway and smoke inhalation was taken to Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital.

The fire appeared to have started in an abandoned commercial building on Hubert Street about 4.30pm before spreading to neighbouring properties, including a heritage-listed Georgian Revival hall used by The Lussh for weddings and events.

The Lussh operators said they were devastated by the fire but “extremely grateful that our team is safe”.

“Our hearts go out to our Woolloongabba community and all those affected by the fire that broke out from a neighbouring building earlier today,” the venue’s management posted on Instagram.

The management assured clients with upcoming weddings and events booked at the venue that they would find alternative locations.

“We have a back-up and are busily pulling things together behind the scenes,” they said.

“While this isn’t anything any of us could have ever predicted, our years in the events industry have prepared us to handle just about anything.”

As of 8.30pm on Wednesday, 13 fire crews remained at the scene, with a Queensland Fire Department spokesman saying one building had been razed and the roof of another had collapsed.

“I was on my top-floor apartment and I saw a bunch of black smoke accumulated pretty quickly,” said one bystander, who gave his name as Phillip.

Firefighting cranes were called in as a Brisbane fire spread to multiple buildings at peak hour on Wednesday.Credit: Nine News

As the smoke billowed across Brisbane, heat could be felt in surrounding streets, and nearby trees were burnt like kindling.

Reports of asbestos and chemicals prompted police to declare a public emergency and declare an exclusion zone stretching from the Pacific Motorway to the Gabba.

The roof of the popular Lussh wedding venue collapsed in the massive blaze.Credit: Reddit

“Members of the public are advised to avoid the area, and those within the exclusion zone are asked to remain indoors until further notice,” police warned.

The buildings were in the Woolloongabba Priority Development Area, which the state government has set aside for a sweeping urban renewal project to take advantage of the new Cross River Rail station under construction opposite the Gabba.

While developers have already lodged plans for residential towers, as well as restaurants and shops in the area, the government’s decision not to rebuild the Gabba for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games has put a cloud over the area.

A planned Metro station might no longer be built, and a masterplan has yet to be finalised for the land above the Cross River Rail station.

The fire was first reported at 4.20pm on Wednesday, with crews arriving 10 minutes later.Credit: William Davis

Motorists and commuters took to social media to report the fire and smoke as it spread across the city.

Fire investigators will not be able to enter the buildings until at least Thursday morning. It was not known what sparked the blaze, and police will examine whether it was deliberately lit.

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