Old Belrose Library: Blaze at abandoned northern beaches redevelopment site

Firefighters had to battle a blaze which broke out at an abandoned northern beaches library late on Monday afternoon — the second in 21 months. See the photos.

Firefighters had to battle a blaze that tore through an abandoned public library on the northern beaches.

Neighbouring residents called Triple Zero just before 4.30pm on Monday, after flames were seen through locked secuirty gates at the former Belrose Library in Lockwood Ave.

This is the second fire in less than two years in the building, which has been vacant since Northern Beaches Council sold it to a developer in 2017.

NSW Fire and Rescue brigades from Dee Why and Forestville were called in to tackle a fire in the abandoned Belrose Public Library in Lockwood Ave that started just before 4.30pm on Monday. Picture; Brian Roberts

In November 2020 dozens of firefighters had to put out a fire that started early on a Friday evening at the same location.

Plans for the $44 million redevelopment, which includes 49 apartments and several shops, were given the go-ahead by the Land and Environment Court on October last year after a protracted development application process.

A NSW Fire and Rescue firefighter peers through a locked security gate at the blaze inside the abandoned Belrose Public Library. Picture; Brian Roberts

Local planning authorities had said the proposed “shop top” project, next door to the Glenrose shopping centre, was a “substantial overdevelopment of the site”.

A NSW Fire and Rescue spokesman said on Monday that it received a tiople zero call at 4.26pm reporting a fire in the vacant building.

Brigades from Forestville and Dee Why were called in.

NSW Fire and Rescue brigades from Dee Why and Forestville were called in to tackle the fire. Picture; Brian Roberts

“When the first firefighters arrived they quickly got the fire under control,” the spokesman said.

There were no reported injuries.

There was a fire at the same location in November 2020. Picture: Facebook

A resident told The Manly Daily that locals had seen several children running from the site just before the fire started.