Mount Isa police say the fire that destroyed the Simpson Desert Oasis roadhouse in Bedourie was not suspicious.
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The roadhouse, 500km south of Mount Isa caught fire during the early hours of Tuesday morning though luckily no one was hurt.
Qld Ambulance Service said several stable patients were assessed for smoke inhalation but no transport was required.
Roadhouse owner and Diamantina Shire Mayor Robbie Dare said the roof had collapsed and 95 percent of the building was destroyed in the fire which started around 3.30am Tuesday morning.
"The person in the caravan park (across the road) had seen it in the corner of the building," Cr Dare said.
"Looked like it started in the top of one of our drop-in cold rooms."
Cr Dare suspected at the time it might be electrical damage, possibly caused by mice eating through it and now police have confirmed the fire was related to refrigeration at the roadhouse.
The fire is not considered suspicious, police said. The findings will be a relief to the owner ahead of a visit by insurance assessors.
"There's a lot of product that's salvageable in the cold rooms and freezer rooms," Cr Dare said. He said the accommodation area of the roadhouse was still standing but the main building containing the shop and restaurant were destroyed.
Longer term Cr Dare said he wanted to rebuild the roadhouse with most of it needing to be knocked down.
"We'll definitely rebuild as long as the insurance is alright. We built it in around 1993, I think it is one of the best roadhouses in Queensland," he said.
"We'd have to knock down about 70% of it at least. I tried to ring my old mate who built it in the first place to see if he knows how to build it again but he's not answering me at the moment."
The fire is a blow to the small town of 150 people with the roadhouse being the main meeting place in Bedourie and the only place which sold fuel and groceries.
The nearest fuel is Birdsville, 200km south or Boulia 200km north.
Local Rural Fire Service volunteers were quick on the scene and Cr Dare said the fire was still only in that area at the time but it took off quickly to engulf the rest of the building.
"The firies did a fantastic job," he said.
"Virtually half the town was there within 20 minutes."
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