A intense blaze has destroyed a unit and damaged three others in Punchbowl overnight. Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) received numerous Triple Zero (000) calls just before 11.00 pm, following reports of a fire on Victoria Road.
Seven fire trucks, including two ladder platforms, and 28 firefighters arrived on scene to find a top floor unit of a two level unit block well alight. Crews searched the property and quickly got to work attacking the fire.
Damage to the structural timbers
Crews withdrew from the building and continued to fight the blaze externally
The blaze was knocked down inside the unit but a check of the roof space found significant fire spread into the common roof area.
Firefighters made access and continued to attack the fire; however, with significant damage to the structural timbers that support the roof, there were concerns that it would collapse.
Crews withdrew from the building and continued to fight the blaze externally using two ladder platform trucks, with firefighters gaining fire control just after 1.20 am.
Concerns about the structural integrity
Approximately 15 residents self-evacuated, with one treated on scene by NSW Ambulance. Due to concerns about the structural integrity of the building, residents have been unable to return to their homes.
The cause of the fire is yet to be determined as investigators are waiting for engineers to confirm the building is safe before they can enter the property.
