‘Suspicious’ fire tears through old Balmain Leagues Club site

A fire that tore through the abandoned Balmain Leagues Club site on Saturday afternoon is being treated as suspicious, with fire investigators to return to the scene later on Sunday.

Emergency services were called to Rozelle after reports of the fire at Victoria Road near Darling Street about 4.35pm, and found the disused building engulfed in smoke and flames.

Wreckage of Balmain Leagues Club after it went up in smoke on Saturday.Credit: Edwina Pickles

Fire and Rescue NSW confirmed on Sunday morning that the fire is being treated as suspicious. While police wouldn’t comment, a spokeswoman said investigators would return to the scene on Sunday.

Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne on Twitter described the fire as “large and dangerous” and advised people to avoid the area on Saturday afternoon.

“There’s a large and dangerous fire at the Balmain Leagues Club site,” he said. “Please stay away from there to allow the [firefighters] to do their job safely.”

Michael Gordon, who lives across the road from the site, observed police helicopters circling overhead as smoke blanketed the surrounding area.

“There were two choppers; one was flying a bit higher and the other one was circling quite low around the area,” he said.

He said that before firefighters got the blaze under control there was “quite intense thick, black smoke billowing out from somewhere near the leagues club”.

“It was quite unpleasant for those in the vicinity,” he said.

The site of the fire has been vacant since 2010 when the NSW government announced plans to build a metro station in the area and the Balmain Leagues Club relocated to temporary venues in Homebush and Five Dock.

Plans for a $400 million development including a rebuilt leagues club, 167 apartments, a town square and supermarket were approved in 2020 but have since been delayed after Transport for NSW acquired the site last year to use as a dirt dump during the construction of the Western Harbour Tunnel.

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