Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) crews are mopping up after a large fire, which engulfed a building last night at Tweed Heads South, on the New South Wales and Queensland border.
FRNSW and Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES) deployed more than 40 firefighters and eight fire trucks when the blaze ignited a 'mixed use' site on Parkside Drive, around 7:45 pm. The fire initially impacted three storage units and a mezzanine platform before strong winds fanned flames through the entire structure, destroying all 28 storage units and two commercial premises.
Exclusion zone
A neighboring truck yard also came under threat, with several trailers having to be relocated
A large amount of household items, including highly flammable LPG cylinders, were being stored inside the units and fuelling the inferno.
An exclusion zone was set up as the fire began to rapidly expand and the roof and external walls started collapsing.
A neighboring truck yard also came under threat, with several trailers having to be relocated, while factories and shops in nearby streets were forced to close due to heavy smoke drifting towards them.
Fire under control
By midnight - around four hours into the incident - fire crews were able to bring the fire under control the fire. They continued to attack the blaze throughout the night, with significant help from a QFES aerial platform fire truck. No injuries have been reported.
Firefighters continue to douse hotspots, with FRNSW's Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS), or drones, helping crews inspect the rubble. Once the fire is extinguished, investigators will begin examining the site and attempt to determine what sparked the fire.
