Kogarah Town Square fire: Residents, businesses remain locked out

Residents and businesses have ‘no idea’ when they can return home or resume trade after fire ripped through a southern Sydney building caused by an electrical ‘malfunction’. Here’s what we know.

The fire sent heavy smoke into Kogarah Town Square on Sunday evening. Picture: Facebook

Residents and businesses have been told they are unable to return home or resume trade after fire ripped through a southern Sydney building following an “electrical malfunction”.

It comes after more than 100 residents were evacuated from three apartment blocks and retail shops after a fire broke out at Belgrave St near Kogarah Town Square on Sunday evening.

Multiple NSW Fire and Rescue crews raced to put out the blaze which started in a switchboard room on the ground floor and travelled up six storeys through ventilation shafts.

On Monday morning, Superintendent Adam Dewberry revealed more than a third of the evacuated residents were told there was no return date in sight after they were forced to find temporary accommodation or stay in emergency housing organised by police.

“Through the evening it became apparent that we couldn’t reinstate the power to the block where the fire occurred so a number of residents, out of about 26 units, had to be relocated,” he said.

The electrical fire broke out at Kogarah Town Square on Sunday night. Picture: Facebook

Superintendent Adam Dewberry confirmed the building would be closed off until the electricity returned. Picture: Elizabeth Pike

Entry to the main fire-affected apartment block was closed to residents. Picture: Elizabeth Pike

“I know the building manager is on the site and helping those people as they get more information, how long they are going to be out for? We’re not too sure.

“But in short there is no power, no access, and that is strictly for safety reasons … there has been significant damage to the electrical system … and the fire suppression and alarm systems are not operational.”

Supt Dewberry said a majority of residents, including a few expecting mothers, evacuated safely except for a group who had to be rescued from a balcony.

Two people were taken to hospital, with one firefighter suffering electrical shock and another resident treated for an asthma attack.

The electrical issues responsible for the fire were also complicating the restoration of the building with the exact cause of the blaze under investigation.

“This could have been a lot worse especially when you’ve got a fire on the ground floor which has travelled up through some ventilation shafts and impacted the upper levels, six levels above the commercial levels, that’s the concern,” Supt Dewberry said.

“The fire was actually quite challenging to locate in the concealed spaces on those upper levels so firefighters, using thermal image cameras, identified those hot spots … and we had to clear all the levels of the toxic, deathly smoke.”

Nearby residents captured the moment fire engulfed the building from their apartments. Picture: Facebook

Onlookers filmed the blaze from the street. Picture: Facebook

Cafe owner Henry Gao stands next to empty ice cream trays after he was forced to throw out most foods following the fire-induced power outage. Picture: Elizabeth Pike

NSW Fire and Rescue confirmed residents were escorted back into the building to collect money, car keys and clothes to get by for the foreseeable future.

However, owner of Crostini’s Cafe. Henry Gao, 63, said he had to throw out thousands of dollars worth of food after power was turned off.

“Nobody has come to me officially and (told me what is going on), no police, no fire brigade, not even the strata – I had to tell them,” Mr Gao said.

“This will cost us thousands, thousands of dollars. We have had to throw out all of our ice cream … all of the [milk, meat, fruit and vegetables] … and we had to cancel orders due to be delivered.

“We have no idea how long it (the outage) will be, we just hope the power can be temporarily restored so we can run the business, otherwise we will lose too much.”

NSW Police confirmed the fire was not being treated as suspicious, with the full extent of the damages yet to be assessed.

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