Fire rips through Kangaroo Island restaurant
A well-loved Kangaroo Island restaurant has been decimated by a fire that broke out in a historic building that houses the venue.
The community has been left devastated by the loss.
Mayor Michael Pengilly said the fire was a “kick in the guts” for the whole island.
“It’s just something we don’t need,” he said.
“The restaurant is one of the best on the island.”
Pengilly noted that council would “bend over backwards” to help the owners recover.
“After going through the fires three and a half years ago, tourism was just starting to return, farmers were recovering, so this is just dreadfully sad,” he said.
“We will do all we can to assist to get it back up and running.”
The blaze started in the kitchen of the The Odd Plate just before 6pm on Monday.
Emergency services, including several Country Fire Service crews, were called to the Seaview Motel, at Kingscote, to battle the fire.
The fire was so ferocious, it took six CFS trucks with 36 firefighters and four support personnel to extinguish it.
Fortunately, no one was inside the building when the fire started. All motel guests were safely evacuated.
Around $500,000 in damages was estimated, however the CFS said they managed to salvage more than they initially expected and that the bill wouldn’t be so large.
Mr Pengilly said of the work of CFS volunteers, “I can’t speak highly enough of them.
“They got there as fast as possible, they give up their own time, some will probably be on scene overnight away from their families. They do a mighty job over and over again on this island.”
The Odd Plate was closed from July 31 and was set to open again in September.
Jonathan Jackson, 8th August 2023
