Emma Pritchard

Fire and Rescue NSW crews from Grafton and South Grafton responded to reports an abandoned building was ablaze during the early hours of Monday morning.

Shortly before 5am on March 7, South Grafton Fire and Rescue 307 Station Captain Paul Danvers confirmed several crew members along with Grafton RFS and Grafton Police attended the scene of a fire at the disused service centre on the corner of Charles Street and Big River Way.

Upon arrival, Captain Danvers said the fire had progressed through the tiled roof at the northern end of the premises as crew members fitted breathing apparatus and attacked the blaze from the outside.

The fire was brought under control within 30 minutes.

No nearby properties came under threat and the incident did not result in any local road closures.

Captain Danvers said the derelict building was unoccupied at the time of the fire and there were no signs of squatters who are known to regularly frequent the location.

He also confirmed the cause of the fire is suspicious and there is currently no power connected to the site.

“Crew members fought the fire from the outside of the building until we gained control,” he explained.

“There were no exposures to nearby properties and crews remained at the scene for a while to fully extinguish the fire.

“The building is virtually an empty structure, there’s nothing inside.”

The former service centre has fallen into a state of disrepair since it closed several years ago.

Many Clarence Valley residents refer to it as an eyesore and there have been numerous calls to have the building bulldozed or renovated due to its close proximity to the main thoroughfare into South Grafton and Grafton.

Coffs/Clarence Police District Chief Inspector Joanne Reid said it is not known how long the fire had been smouldering inside the building before it entered the roof cavity and became visible.

She confirmed the building is currently abandoned and said the fire was extinguished without incident.

Minor fire damage was occasioned.