An investigation is underway after a factory building in Queanbeyan East was left “50 per cent destroyed” by a fire this afternoon (12 August).
At around 12:15 pm, reports started flowing into Fire & Rescue NSW about “black smoke billowing from the doors” of a building near Yass Road.
Initially, eight firefighters in two trucks were dispatched to the scene, but while still en route, the commander of the first truck reported the black smoke in the distance and requested extra resources.
Posts on social media also picked up the cloud of smoke drifting across the town centre.
“Avoid Queanbeyan – the trade centre is on fire, smoke is really bad,” one post to the Canberra Notice Board Group on Facebook read.
Additional fire trucks from ACT Fire and Rescue and one from the NSW Rural Fire Service answered the call, for a total of 30 firefighters across the three services.
FRNSW Acting Superintendent Steve Brown told Region the crews arrived at a medium-sized factory on Chapman Street, behind the Mitre 10 hardware store, to find it “well alight”.
“Firefighters wearing air sets immediately commenced a search of the property and attacked the fire with lines of hose,” Ag Superintendent Brown said.
The factory was pronounced clear of people, and the four adjoining buildings were evacuated in case the fire spread.
By 1:06 pm, the fire had been contained, the building left “50 per cent destroyed”.
No injuries were reported. An investigation is underway to find the cause of the fire.