UPDATE – 7.30pm
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
A man is in hospital and 100 cars have been lost after two sheds caught fire outside Junee on Saturday afternoon.
Fire and Rescue NSW Riverina Duty Commander Adam Wixx said a man who was residing at the property had been taken to hospital with smoke inhalation.
The fire was brought under control at about 7pm, about three and a half hours after firefighters arrived on scene.
“The local brigade of Junee responded to the fire at 3.30pm. When they arrived they found two sheds on fire and a number of cars and car wrecks also alight,” he said.
“They got to work and called for extra resources. Rural Fire Service also attended. They were able to save the residential house but unfortunately they were unable to save the sheds and the approximately 100 cars and car wrecks on the property.
“They were totally destroyed.”
Police have reopened Gundagai Road and Kahmoo Lane after establishing roadblocks earlier in the afternoon, but a 500-metre exclusion zone is still being maintained due to explosions during the fire.
“It took approximately three hours to bring the fire under control, we have the fire under control now and we are working on the final extinguishing of the fire,” Mr Wixx said.
“We intend to be here for another few hours making sure there are no hotspots left that might cause an issue for nearby properties should they kick up overnight.”
“A person who resided at the property- I don’t know if he was the owner or just a resident- he has been taken to hospital for smoke inhalation.
“He was at the property when we arrived.”
Mr Wixx said an investigation into the cause and point of origin of the fire would being once the fire was fully extinguished and the scene was declared safe.
Earlier – 5.30pm
Emergency services have established a 500-metre exclusion zone around the a property fire outside of Junee on Saturday afternoon.
Crews from Fire and Rescue NSW and The Rural Fire Service attended the fire in two sheds on a rural property near the intersection of Gundagai Road and Kahmoo Lane at about 3.30pm.
Fire and Rescue NSW Superintendent Michael Jay said firefighters requested Police attend the incident after explosions at the scene.
A NSW Police spokeswoman said police were requested to attend the incident as there was a possibility that ammunition was being kept in the shed and was causing the explosions.
A number of cars in the sheds have been destroyed by the fire.
The fire remained out of control as of 5pm on Saturday and police, Fire and Rescue NSW, RFS, and an ambulance remain on site.
According to Junee residents, police and firefighters have established roadblocks near the fire.
The property was located about four kilometres south-east of Junee.
Mr Jay said fire crews had a concern that the fire could spread to a house at the property.
“There was a large fire near a house and a car and under power lines. There were two buildings well alight. Four RFS tankers and police are in attendance,” he said.
“There was explosions and we put up a 500-metre exclusion zone.
“Fire and Rescue NSW had a senior officer, two pumpers and a tanker at the incident.”