A massive fire engulfed an abandoned hat factory in downtown Sydney, prompting emergency services to evacuate people from a nearby residential building before firefighters managed to control the flames without any casualties. Acting Fire and Rescue Commissioner for New South Wales, Jeremy Fewtrell, noted that "over 30 vehicles and 120 firefighters were deployed to combat the fire that broke out in the seven-story building near Sydney Central Station."
Fewtrell stated at a press conference that the fire has been contained "but it will take hours to extinguish it. Those in surrounding buildings have been evacuated, and no residents have been injured." The fire at Randle Street in Surry Hills began to spread to several neighboring buildings, including residential apartments, according to NSW firefighters.
New South Wales Rail announced in a statement the suspension of light rail services until further notice. Footage showed burning debris flying onto a balcony of a nearby building. Fewtrell mentioned that firefighters extinguished small fires that had spread to other buildings.
