The bone-dry conditions that sparked the bushfire crisis are thought to have sparked a timber yard inferno in Sydney’s southwest at Reclaim & Timber Co in Sefton. Source: The Telegraph
It went up in flames and it took firefighters more than two hours to bring it under control.
Owner Rob de Graaf said fire investigators believed the blaze started on dry grass behind the timber yard.
“There’s a reserve behind the business next to Duck River which has lots of dry grass,” he said. “Investigators think the fire has started there, then gone through the back fence and set the place alight.
“We don’t know (if it was deliberately lit) – it could’ve been a flicked cigarette butt.”
Nearby residents pulled shirts over their mouths and others clasped protective face masks to cope with the choking, eye-watering smoke that consumed the street.
Winifred Vincent, 62, who lives opposite the fire, said if not for the neighbouring furniture business the fire could have been a lot worse.
“When it started the business was closed and all the workers were gone but the furniture factory next door called the fire brigade,” she said.
“In the meantime they used their fire extinguisher to stop the fire from going over to their business.”
