Animals evacuated, smoke warning after large fire breaks out in Parramatta North laundry business

ABC NEWS (Australia)

A fire at a Sydney laundromat near a major road in north Parramatta is now under control. NSW Fire and Rescue said more than 100 firefighters help control the blaze at the laundry facility within three hours. The blaze caused the evacuation of a nearby vert surgery. Investigators are now trying to determine what caused the blaze.

Transcript

00:00It was just after 1 o'clock this morning that this laundromat just behind me became totally

00:07engulfed in flames on the corner of Dunlop and Church Street in North Parramatta.

00:14Now Church Street in Parramatta is quite a busy road so there has been some traffic disruption

00:18that has eased throughout the morning and is expected to ease even more so later.

00:23However on Dunlop Street at this industrial laundromat we saw incredibly hot fire burning

00:29high into the sky with flames licking the atmosphere and really causing incredible

00:34distress for the more than 20 fire trucks and 100 firefighters deployed to the scene.

00:39They used four ladder trucks to pummel the blaze with water and create a sort of containment

00:44to the northern side of the building.

00:47That meant no other buildings nearby could be damaged.

00:50As for people in the area there were some evacuations for residents as well as at a

00:54vet surgery where a nurse staying overnight at the facility as well as some animals being

00:59stored post their operation also had to be temporarily evacuated until it was safe to

01:05return them.

01:06Everyone has now since been able to return to their homes.

01:09There have been distributions of P2 masks as well to residents nearby as they've been

01:14able to be advised that obviously any smoke or byproducts coming from the site can cause

01:19some danger if inhalated so as a result people have been given masks and advice to keep doors

01:24and vents and other windows closed to protect against these risk factors.

01:29As for the source and cause of the fire now daylight is being used to determine what may

01:34have been the reason why this site became totally engulfed in flames whether it was

01:40suspicious or not.

01:42So the biggest thing now is to get those final bits of smouldering pockets of fire extinguished

01:48and we'll also use the benefit of the daylight to do a better assessment of the building

01:52and that'll determine whether it's safe for investigators to actually enter the premises.

01:56One resident spoke to the ABC about just how concerning the initial fire was and how thankful

02:02he is that no one was hurt.

02:05The team they are the real heroes for us not me I'm just giving my way outside my family

02:11are safe everybody is safe in this area and what they did they shut down the electricity

02:16so their people can be also safe.

02:18I don't know whether you are able to see on the like your cameras but it is a huge

02:23huge it reaches to the sky.

02:26Other than a secured off area where fireys and police officers are working the general

02:31part of North Parramatta is considered safe and there is no broader threat to public safety.

Category

Transcript

Recommended