A fire has torn through part of the historic Low Head Pilot Station near George Town, with crews battling to save an 1820s cottage.

Thick smoke billowed from the guest house this afternoon, with firefighters struggling to access flames that had spread into the roof.

The heritage-listed building is feared destroyed, with investigators yet to determine the cause or assess the full damage.

Low Head Pilot Station, established in 1805, is Australia’s oldest continuously operating pilot station and remains both a working maritime site and popular tourist destination.