Fire destroys iconic Healesville business

By Kath Gannaway
FRENCH’S Laundry has been destroyed by fire.
It is believed the fire started at around midnight.
Fire units from across Yarra Ranges and down the line poured into the town, joining local brigades as they battled to bring the fire under control and protect Coles and the strip shops which back onto the laundry.
There was nothing the brigades could do to save the building, with flames leaping 15 metres into the air by the time the first units arrived.
The flames could be seen from the Yarra Hill.
The extent of the damage was immediately clear and the first thoughts of bystanders were for the workers who will awake this morning to a tragic scene, and no jobs.
The laundry is one of Healesville’s longest-running businesses and a significant service business to the tourism and hospitality industry.
And, Healesville has lost another of its historic buildings.