A car was destroyed and three workers were evacuated when fire broke out in a laneway behind the Atrium shopping centre in Tamworth on Saturday afternoon, with police yet to determine the cause.
Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) received numerous Triple Zero (000) calls about the car fire, near Kable Avenue and Brisbane Street, shortly after 1.25pm on Saturday, 3 October.
Eight firefighters from Tamworth and South Tamworth responded in two fire trucks.
As crews approached, they saw large volumes of smoke coming from the area. They arrived to find a vehicle well alight in a car park.
Firefighters worked quickly to contain and put out the blaze, stopping the fire from spreading to surrounding buildings and vehicles.
Three workers were evacuated from nearby businesses as a precaution.
The vehicle was destroyed, and one adjoining building suffered minor fire and smoke damage.
Videos posted to social media showed the fire burning against the wall before it engulfed the car. The footage also showed a number of small explosions as the silver vehicle burned.
There were multiple claims on social media that an e-bike had exploded and started the fire, however, NSW Police said the cause of the fire is unknown at this stage.
Firefighters ventilated the affected premises and carried out atmospheric monitoring to make sure the area was safe. They left the scene at about 2.45pm.
The scene was handed over to NSW Police for further investigation.
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