Historic Balingup Tavern gravely damaged in fire

Balingup Tavern manager Aadil Kamra is lucky to be alive after a fire ripped through the premises in the early hours of Monday morning and caused about $200,000 damage.

Mr Kamra was asleep at the other end of tavern about 4.30am when the fire started in the dry store area and was woken by neighbour Sue Rapley bravely coming to check the building was empty.

“I heard a knock at the front door and as soon as I woke up, my room was full of smoke,” Mr Kamra said.

“I wanted to go in and get a fire extinguisher but Sue stopped me because she said the smoke was all over the place and didn’t want me to go in there.

“Sue saved my life, I was in a deep sleep and didn’t even smell the smoke.

“I’m really thankful to her for saving my life.”

Mr Kamra called 000 and emergency services was on scene within 25 minutes.

He made special mention of Paul Davis from the Balingup Bushfire Brigade, who was first on scene.

According Department of Fire and Emergency Services Lower South West acting area manager south Craig Beswick, after the fire started in the dry store, it spread into the kitchen area.

The fire is not being treated as suspicious.

Mr Kamra apologised to the Balingup community for not being able to open the tavern for the next couple of months while it was rebuilt.