A Mona Vale smash repair business has been spared serious damage after a fire broke out in a spray paint booth on Thursday afternoon, with staff credited for slowing the blaze before firefighters arrived.
Emergency services were called to Polo Smash Repairs on By The Sea Road shortly after 4pm on 16 July 2026, following a Triple Zero call reporting the fire. Units from Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) stations at Mona Vale, Avalon and Narrabeen responded, alongside NSW Police and NSW Ambulance.
Workers at the business first noticed smoke and went to investigate, discovering a fire had taken hold inside a spray paint booth — an area containing large volumes of highly flammable chemicals. Rather than wait, staff members grabbed fire extinguishers and worked to slow the spread. While they couldn’t fully contain the flames, their efforts bought critical time before firefighters reached the scene.
Everyone inside the two-storey brick building was evacuated as smoke filled the premises.
Firefighters, working in heavy rain, donned breathing apparatus and used hose lines connected to street hydrants to enter the building. They found the fire confined to the spray paint booth and, owing in part to the staff’s earlier intervention, were able to extinguish it within minutes before it could take hold in the building’s structure.
FRNSW Mona Vale Station Officer Garren Moran said the fire was believed to have started from an electrical fault in a heating system. He praised the workers for acting quickly in the early stages of the blaze.
NSW Ambulance Inspector Christine Ashman was among the paramedics who attended. No serious injuries were reported, though one person was taken to hospital as a precaution for smoke inhalation. Paramedics remained on scene until firefighters had removed their breathing equipment, then departed.
Once the fire was out, crews used a thermal imaging camera to confirm it had not spread through any wall or ceiling cavities, and a high-pressure fan was deployed to clear smoke from the building. Power to the premises was isolated on arrival, and the owners were advised to arrange an electrical inspection before it is restored.
The full extent of damage is yet to be assessed, but while the building and business have been saved from fire damage, there is expected to be considerable smoke damage as well as water damage from firefighting efforts.
Polo Smash Repairs is understood to be a longstanding family business in the area.
Published 17-July-2026
