Overview
Fire has caused chaos in Sydney's inner west this afternoon, as more than 60 firefighters battled a huge blaze at the General Gordon Hotel. The Sydney Morning Herald reported that fire crews arrived to find the building's second storey alight just after 1.15pm and were still working to contain it at 2.30pm.
A boarding house next door to the pub has been evacuated and there are warnings for cars and pedestrians to steer clear of the area, as smoke continues to spread.
What's more, because of the pub's location just across the road from the Sydenham train station, safety concerns meant a bunch of rail services were also disrupted. Trains have only recently resumed stopping at Sydenham.
Trains will not stop at Sydenham due to fire near the track causing hazardous conditions at Sydenham.
Customers wishing to transfer to the @T3SydneyTrains Bankstown Line should continue on to Central to interchange.https://t.co/1c9V9iBMfL
— T4 Sydney Trains (@T4SydneyTrains) July 30, 2018
Meanwhile, those catching buses could face more delays into the afternoon — at time of publication, route 418, 425 and M30 services were all still being diverted away from the fire and avoiding some nearby stops.
Due to a building fire near Sydenham Station, route 418 buses to Bondi Junction & route 425 buses to Tempe are diverting away from Gleeson Ave via local streets, missing 1 stop. Route M30 buses towards the city are starting at Railway Pde Stand B & missing 1 stop. pic.twitter.com/MMh9OUBOFc
— Buses Inner West (@BusesInnerWest) July 30, 2018
The General Gordon Hotel was recently sold to new owners and is in the middle of an extensive renovation. With its roof now totally collapsed, it seems likely that opening date could now be a little further off than first expected. Fire and Rescue NSW Inner West Duty Commander Gary Meagher told the ABC, "They won't be drinking there for a while".
via SMH
Images: Fire and Rescue NSW