A large blaze broke out at an industrial waste facility in Western Sydney on Tuesday afternoon, with gas cylinders exploding and sending thick black smoke into the air.
The fire started at Cleanaway St Marys Liquid Waste Services on Christie Street around 1:48 pm, posing a threat to nearby properties. NSW Fire and Rescue described the situation as highly dangerous, with the risk of additional gas bottle explosions. Footage from the scene showed flames reaching as high as 60 meters.
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An 800-meter exclusion zone has been set up, urging residents and businesses to stay away from the area. Over 100 firefighters and more than 20 fire trucks are working to contain the blaze, which is being made more challenging by high temperatures of 34°C in St Marys.
Authorities have advised locals to keep doors, windows, and vents closed due to the toxic smoke risk. As of 2:50 pm, there were no reports of injuries.
This marks the second fire at the facility in recent years. A similar incident occurred in April 2022, injuring one man and taking firefighters over two hours to control.
