Devastating fire at historic Merewether pub

Firefighters had their hands full at Merewether this morning, combating a blaze at the Burwood Hotel that broke out just before 10am.

The fire, which started in the kitchen, quickly spread to the nearby restaurant, bar, beer garden and storage areas.

The fire was extinguished just after 12pm, but large parts of the building are destroyed.

15 people were evacuated while firefighting operations took place, and there have been no reports of injuries at the scene.

More to come.