Abandoned building that burnt to ground popular with TikTok adventurers

Video has emerged of teenagers inside the Surry Hills building only days before it was destroyed by the fire that stunned Sydney on Thursday afternoon. Watch the video

New video has emerged of teens exploring the inside of the now-destroyed Surry Hills building just days before it was engulfed by flames. 

Videos posted on social media indicate the building was a popular haunt for teenagers, who would regularly explore the derelict site. 

The emergence of the video comes as two 13-year-old boys handed themselves into police over the inferno that stopped Sydney on Thursday afternoon.

In one video on TikTok, a teenager can be seen hanging off the edge of a high beam, his legs dangling precariously off the edge. 

The adventurer expressed his sadness the building was gone. 

Shots from inside the building taken from TikTok.

Teenagers used the building as a playground.

“It was a cool place to explore and watch the sunset,” he said. 

The explorer, who wished to remain anonymous, said the building was filled with ‘old office stuff’ and was otherwise “basically empty”.

“It got popular off TikTok,” he said. 

“I never saw anyone lighting fires, but I’m sure people do it.”

Abandoned building exploration has become a popular trend among teenagers, with hundreds of videos on social media highlighting secret, and often abandoned buildings, warehouses and sites.

On Friday, investigations continued into the blaze with police urging more youths to come forward with any information.

Fire and Rescue NSW drone footage of the building fire on Randle Lane and Chalmers St, Surry Hills.

“We are aware of a further three or four young people who were present during the fire. We ask them to come forward with their parents and put their side of the story forward,” Assistant Commissioner Paul Dunstan said.

The fire erupted on Thursday afternoon in Randle St, Surry Hills, with flames and smoke visible across the city in one of the biggest fires Sydney has seen in years.

Fire and Rescue NSW drone footage of the heritage building destroyed by fire.

A wall collapsed during the building fire in Surry Hills. Picture: AAP

At one stage more than 30 fire trucks and 120 firefighters were on the scene battling the raging inferno.

It took just 20 minutes for the 110-year-old building to start to collapse into the building next to it. Firefighters worked throughout the night and into the morning to extinguish the “10th alarm” fire.

Views from inside the building off TikTok.

An ‘adventurer’ dangling off the building.

On Friday morning, a witness said they had seen a group of young teens running from the building as it burst into flames on Thursday, with police later confirming two teens had handed themselves with their parents that evening.

Local locksmith Phu Tang said he was walking along Randall Street around 4pm when he said he saw three to four high school boys, in school uniforms, fleeing the smoking building. “They almost knocked me over,” he said.

“I was on my way to collect my daily Dominos pizza special and the building was already smoking.

“Then I saw three or four high school kids running out screaming and swearing.”

Fire damage at a nearby apartment., Picture: Fire and Rescue NSW

Commissioner Dunstan said the building was a known place for rough sleepers with up to 15 people seen sleeping there on Wednesday night. Only 13 had been reached by police late Friday.

“There are two other people we would like to track down and confirm they are safe and well,” Acting Assistant Commissioner Dunstan said.

An Emergency Operations Centre was set up on Friday to co-ordinate the multi-agency emergency effort.

The fire overtakes the building in Surry Hills. Picture: AAP Image/Dean Lewins

Police said the priorities for the emergency operation were to render the fire ground safe to allow on-site investigations, coordinate for the safe demolition of the remaining structures, limit the impacts on traffic and public transport, and house displaced residents and ensure the timely return to their properties.

Police on Friday had not been able to contact the owner of the building who is understood to be overseas, nor the owner of a ute also destroyed in the blaze.

The former hat factory was most recently used as offices but has been empty for 12 months.

A development application filed in 2019 planned to transform the derelict building into a $40 million hotel.

Architects drawings and renders of the proposed new look for the Surry Hills building that caught fire.

A City of Sydney spokesperson said they could not easily identify the number of abandoned properties in the CBD, but said they would work with the state government to manage the impact of the fire.

“The safety and welfare of our residents, visitors and workers is our priority,” the spokesperson said.

Fire and Rescue NSW on Friday released drone footage of the fire and the destroyed building, showing melted staircases, exploded windows and piles of brick left behind.

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Originally published as Abandoned building that burnt to ground popular with TikTok adventurers