A third teenager who was in a heritage-listed factory when it burst into flames during the Sydney CBD fire on Thursday is helping police with their investigations into the fire.
Police have confirmed that they are speaking to the 12-year-old boy, as well as the two 13-year-old boys who came forward yesterday. According to police, all three were in the building when the fire started.
The Surry Hills building was declared unsafe this morning after the front wall moved 70mm overnight.
Fire and Rescue NSW used a remotely piloted aircraft to assess the damage caused to the building structure and also consulted with engineers and demolition experts to develop a safe plan for the demolition.
Firefighters remain on scene to ensure “no shoulder fires.”
Fire and Rescue NSW said “light smoldered from deep within the rubble” was continuing, but firefighters were unable to extinguish the fires as it was unsafe after it engulfed around 4pm on Thursday.
“An Emergency Operations Center (EOC), commanded by NSW Police, has been established to coordinate the operations of the multiple agencies supporting FRNSW, including security or demolition of damaged buildings,” Fire and Rescue said. NSW in a statement.
The southbound lanes on Elizabeth Street have been reopened with barricades to allow traffic flow, but other streets surrounding the building will remain closed.
The Red Cross provides emergency housing to approximately 70 residents who cannot access their apartments.
A new video surfaced this morning of teenagers inside the abandoned, heritage-listed building, just days before the fire broke out.
Debris and destruction the day after the fire ‘eleven in a decade’
No charges have yet been filed as police are still waiting for more youths to turn themselves in.
Police have yet to confirm whether they have located two people known to be sleeping rough in the area.
Yesterday, the ten-alarm fire was described as a “once in a decade” hell.
Acting Assistant Commissioner Paul Dunstan said firefighters did an “exceptional” job working quickly to stop the spread and get people out of harm’s way, especially those on rooftops, balconies and under the street before it hit. would break down the wall.
He said the dry-stacked wood structure with plenty of airflow created the “perfect set of conditions for an intense fire.”
More than 120 firefighters were called to the scene from multiple stations in Sydney, taking hours to contain the blaze with a combination of air and ground attacks.
