(File photo) Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon
A Queenstown pub owner is promising patrons his historic pub will be up and running again as soon as possible after a fire this morning.
No one was working in the building when the fire broke out at Speight's Ale House on Stanley Street.
Emergency services were called to the blaze around 7am and it took them around five hours to bring it under control.
Images online showed smoke drifting over the town.
Fire-fighters had to remove the roof of the building to extinguish the flames.
A nearby building was also evacuated as a precaution, due to smoke from the fire.
Pub owner Clark Frew said the kitchen and roof were extensively damaged and there was smoke and water damage to the bar and restaurant.
"We'll be back, its just a matter of when, we just need to fully assess the damage and how long it's going to take for everything to be righted, I suppose."
Queenstown photographer James Allan earlier said the blaze had brought the centre of the town to a standstill.
The entirety of Stanley Street and half of Ballarat Street were blocked as the fire raged, he said.
"That's ... the main entrance into Queenstown, so there's a number of stock trucks, buses and vehicles that are either stuck or quite significant detours around the town at the moment."
Fire safety inspectors are examining the scene and cordons in the area have now been lifted.