A heritage-listed seven storeys high building in central Sydney was affected by a massive fire on Thursday. The fire began on level three of the building. The building appeared to be empty at the time of the blaze. More than 120 firefighters and 30 trucks were sent to Surry Hills about 4pm. Bricks and large chunks of walls started crashing to the ground. The blaze had been contained after two hours. An entire wall collapsed. No major injuries were reported. Intervention was also needed at nearby buildingd which were hit by flames.
Emergency personnel were assisting residents of neighbouring properties to find alternative accommodation evacuating. There were major road closures in the area around Randle Street. Buses were diverted in the Surry Hills area. The building was former RC Henderson hat factory, built in 1912. It was planed to be transformed in a hotel. Thousands people in Sydney watched the big fire. Dark smoke spreaded in a large area. The cause of the fire was not yet established.
