'Thick, black smoke everywhere': homes evacuated after fire in Sydney
A factory fire in Sydney’s south-west has blanketed the sky above Sydney's south-west in smoke, with about 100 homes evacuated.
Emergency services were called about 2pm on Tuesday to the Baker & Co factory on Yulong Close in Moorebank following reports of a fire.
Nearby residents and motorists have been advised to keep their windows closed. There are concerns the smoke may harm people's health.
Fire crews are expected to remain on scene overnight with investigators likely to inspect the site on Wednesday.
A section of the factory's rear wall collapsed into a vacant area between the building and homes.
More than 120 firefighters responded to the incident. It is understood there have been no injuries.
About 100 homes along Collie Circuit were evacuated as a precaution and an exclusion zone has been established.
A nearby cafe owner said on Tuesday afternoon the situation was “getting worse", with “thick, black smoke everywhere and flames that are very high”.
She said factory workers had come into the cafe, complaining about products "going off like bombs".
"It’s pretty bad, it doesn't seem to have eased at all."
A fireman told Nine News: "This is an extremely intense and very, very fierce fire."
"The fire has broken through the back of the factory. We've now got thousands of litres of flammable liquid alight. Right now, we are trying to stop the fire from reaching the houses," he said.
A Fire and Rescue NSW spokesman said large drums possibly containing oils had been located at the rear of the building.
Despite widespread reports of a chemical factory fire, the spokesman said emergency services were uncertain about the contents of the building.
The incident has caused heavy delays, with traffic queues stretching about 12 kilometres on the M5 between Beverly Hills and Moorebank.
Fire crews attended another two incidents on Tuesday afternoon, including a fire in the underground car park of a three-storey apartment block in Meadowbank and a blaze at a house in Riverwood.
Investigations into the three incidents continue.