A fire has broken out at a chemical storage warehouse and is spewing toxic smoke across the western Sydney skyline.
More than 130 firefighters are battling the blaze, which ignited at the Cleanaway Liquid Waste facility on Christie Street in St Mary’s about 6.30am on Tuesday.
Aerosol cans have exploded within the site and a liquid petroleum gas cylinder caught alight.
Fire and Rescue NSW has urged local residents to remain indoors and keep windows closed to avoid dangerous fumes in the air.
This is the second chemical fire in less than three months that has broken out at depots of Sydney waste giant, Cleanaway after a fire raged at the companies Glendenning facility on February 7.
Cleanaway subsidiaries were fined $31,500 by the Environmental Protection Agency in November 2020 for waste storage offences at three NSW sites at Rutherford, Wetherill Park and Windsor.
Cleanaway was again fined $15,000 in March 2021 for incorrect storage of dangerous chemicals and flammable liquids being exposed to sunlight at their Glendenning premises in western Sydney.
Fire and Rescue Superintendent Adam Dewberry told 2GB about 8am on Tuesday the fire has been brought under control and “signifixjmtzywcantly calmed down”.
Firefighters are working to extinguish the remaining flames.
A male worker in his 20s was knocked off his feet when the first explosion occurred at the warehouse, ABC News reported.
He has been flown to Royal North Shore hospital with superficial burns to his face and arms and remains in a serious condition.
A second worker was treated for burns by paramedics at the scene.
NSW Ambulance Acting Inspector Gregory Marshall said seven paramedic crews responded to the fire including Special Operations Team Paramedics and the NSW Ambulance Rescue Helicopter.
“Paramedics were confronted with a major fire and found a male patient in his 30s with serious burns to multiple areas of his body,” Mr Marshall said.
Workers from neighbouring factories were evacuated as fire crews worked to keep flames from spreading to adjoining buildings.
Superintendent Dewberry said it was too early to determine how the fire broke out.
More to come.
