Two men are in police custody following a fire that destroyed a historic masonic lodge in Lismore early this morning. The Richmond Police District is treating the incident as arson.

Detective Inspector Grant Erickson confirmed that a 36-year-old man and a 32-year-old man, both from Nimbin, were arrested at the Lismore Central shopping center around 11 a.m. "They are currently at Lismore Police Station assisting with our inquiries," he said.

The fire broke out around 4 a.m. at the lodge located on Magellan Street, directly across from Lismore's library. The building has served as a home for Freemasons in the region for nearly a century.

Detective Inspector Erickson described the damage as "catastrophic," noting, "It's a beautiful building, it's a landmark in Lismore. It's survived numerous floods, and for it to be devastated like this is appalling to say the least."

Allan Ridgewell, the Worshipful Master of the Northern Rivers Lodge, expressed his sorrow over the loss. He stated that Freemasons have been gathering in Lismore since the mid-1800s and that the lodge was built in the 1920s to 1930s. "We've done so much for Lismore over the years, it's just so sad to see it happen," he said.

Ridgewell added that most of the lodge's furniture and belongings were lost in the 2022 flood, but donations from other lodges and the community had allowed them to return. "We had a lodge meeting there last Wednesday. We were just building back up after the flood," he said.

Lismore Heights resident Nathan Kelly witnessed the fire while feeding his dogs early in the morning. He described seeing an orange glow in the CBD and felt the heat from the flames. "It looked like the whole thing was going to go up. You could feel the heat from the flames. It was really sad seeing the building like that," he said. Kelly noted that his family had used the lodge for various activities, including dance classes.

NSW Fire and Rescue acting duty commander Fraser Hindry reported that the fire was well established at the back of the timber building when crews arrived. "It spread to the roof of the main building, which is a masonry building, and unfortunately the roof collapsed," he said.

Hindry confirmed that no one was inside the building at the time of the fire and that there were no reports of injuries. While the ornate facade of the lodge remains standing, the back of the building and an adjacent structure have been destroyed. "It is a crime scene. These things are crime scenes until proven otherwise," he added.