Factory Fire, Taren Point
Published: 14th July 2006
Not long after 11.30 am on Thursday 13 July 2006, the NSW Fire Brigades was inundated with triple zero calls reporting a factory on fire in Taren Point. Many callers were travelling across the Captain Cook Bridge when they observed a large plume of smoke. The large number of calls received prompted an immediate response of 20 firefighters from four stations.
When fire crews arrived they were confronted with a fierce fire involving a spray-painting area a panel-beaters’ business. Firefighters wearing air cylinders positioned hoses to prevent the fire from spreading throughout the factory and to surrounding buildings.
Four people inside the factory at the time the fire broke out escaped safely as did 20 people from an adjacent industrial building. There were no injuries.
Firefighters took about 15 minutes to contain the fire. There was severe damage to the spray-painting area. The rest of the building was affected by heat and smoke. The fire is believed to have started in the motor of an exhaust fan.