Investigators are appealing for information after an old hotel was extensively damaged following a suspicious fire at Yass overnight.
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About 2am May 22, emergency services were called to Comur Street, Yass, following reports of a fire.
Fire and Rescue NSW attended and extinguished the blaze; however, the building was extensively damaged, while one neighbouring property received water damage.
The property was vacant at the time and there were no reports of injuries.
Officers from The Hume Police District established a crime scene and commenced an investigation into the cause of the fire, which is being treated as suspicious.
Yass Valley Council staff assisted local emergency services divert traffic away from the main street.
Temporary fencing has been installed and carparking in front of the Commercial Hotel and to the side of the building on Lead Street, has been closed off to cars and pedestrians until further notice.
Comur Street will be open to traffic later on Monday.
Meantime, Southern Tablelands RFS operational officer, Mitchell Butler, said access was the biggest challenge in fighting the blaze. An aerial platform from Wagga was brought in, given the fire's severity and the danger posed for ground crew
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It joined 10 RFS vehicles, comprising 30 personnel, and 14 NSW and ACT Fire and Rescue units.
Sections of the interior collapsed during the blaze.
"We had enough water, given the amount of resources," he said.
"Crews managed to contain the fire to the hotel section and it didn't spread into the Carpet Court or Chinese restaurant (in the same building)."
It was extinguished after six hours and an exclusion zone established due to concern about possible further structural collapse of outer walls, a NSW Fire and Rescue spokesperson said.
There were no injuries reported.
The building was described as "derelict" and had been vacant since 2005, despite more recent redevelopment plans being flagged.
Mr Butler said the old hotel sustained extensive damage.
"The building's structural integrity has been severely damaged. It is going to be a great loss for the Yass community."
The street is blocked off. Mr Butler urged people to avoid the area while police and fire investigators went about their work.
As inquiries continue, anyone with information is urged to contact Yass Police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au. Information is treated in strict confidence. The public is reminded not to report information via NSW Police social media pages.
