The smell of smoke hangs in the air for miles, hours after the fire that destroyed the Royal Hotel in Mossman was extinguished.

In Mossman, with the a section of Front Street blocked to traffic, onlookers continue to take photos of what remains of the heritage listed pub.

Lynn Herron, who lives nearby, immediately thought of the Royal when she was made aware of a fire in the main street.

"When I walked home from work I walked across the street and it wasn't alight.

"I was home for about 15 minutes. I saw the flames from home and knew that it was the Royal.

"It was alight, there was no way they were going to save it. Flames were going up 30 or 40 feet in the air."

Ms Herron said there were masses of people gathering to watch the spectacle.

"It didn't take long to get around town that it was on fire. It's a shame.

"It was heritage listed but it would have cost them a fortune to fix."

A Queensland Ambulance Service representative said that, as far as he was aware, no injuries had been reported from the blaze.

Investigations into the cause of the fire have commenced. Keep checking The Newsport for updates.

Where you at the scene? Tell us about your experience or send us you photos or video footage to editor@thenewsport.com.au