More than 1,200 guests were evacuated from Paradise Resort Gold Coast after a fire broke out at the family holiday complex during the school holidays.
The blaze began at about 7.40pm on Monday inside Planet Chill, an entertainment area containing an ice rink, stage and performance facilities. Queensland Fire and Emergency Services crews attended as guests left the 360-room resort and gathered in the centre of Surfers Paradise.
Some holidaymakers waited outside for hours while firefighters brought the fire under control. One child could be heard telling their mother: “Mum, I’m scared.”
A parent said evacuating with young children had been particularly difficult, explaining: “Me and the kids had a pram we had to try and get down all these stairs.” Another guest described the scene as “pretty hectic while it was happening.”
No one was injured. Fire investigator David Johnston described it as a “quite a large fire” and said it was being treated as accidental, with an electrical fault believed to have started the blaze.
Planet Chill expected to remain closed for months
Damage became clearer on Tuesday, with part of the building’s roof collapsing and the affected area left blackened and cordoned off. The ice rink will need to be completely replaced, while the Green Room, where costumes and uniforms were stored, was destroyed.
Costumes for the resort’s mascots Cleo, Astro, Captain and Dusty were among the items lost. General manager David Brook said: “It started in the green room where they keep all of our uniforms, costumes and characters. So unfortunately our characters have all gone to heaven.”
Mr Brook said the repairs would be extensive and Planet Chill could remain closed for several months. “The resort expects repairs will be extensive… the ice rink needs to be completely replaced,” he said.
He praised staff for managing the evacuation during a busy period, saying: “I am incredibly proud of the way our team responded. Evacuating a 360-room resort during school holidays is a significant undertaking, and our staff remained calm, followed our emergency procedures and worked together to ensure every guest was safely evacuated.”
Guests later praised the resort’s handling of the emergency. Holidaymaker Chris Moore, who works in emergency response training, described the staff’s conduct as showing “genuine care and impressive professionalism”, while another guest, Ali Cia, said: “Staff did a brilliant job in getting us all out so quickly.”
Paradise Resort said all other areas of the property remained open and operating normally, although Planet Chill will be closed while repairs take place. Guests holding tickets for Planet Chill ice-skating or Rock on Ice will receive a full refund, with bookings to be processed automatically.
