Local firefighters have prevented what could have been a devastating blaze at a Mona Vale industrial complex after responding to reports of smoke on Monday evening.
Emergency services were called to Bassett Street just after 6.30pm on 22 September following concerns from workers at the industrial complex who noticed smoke and immediately contacted Triple Zero.
Crews from Fire and Rescue NSW’s Mona Vale and Narrabeen stations arrived at the scene alongside NSW Police to find smoke emanating from a rug cleaning business, which was unoccupied at the time of the incident.
Mona Vale firefighters reached the location in less than five minutes and forced entry into the premises. Once inside, they discovered a piece of rug-drying equipment had malfunctioned and caught fire.
Wearing breathing apparatus, firefighters entered the building with hose lines and quickly brought the blaze under control before it could spread to other parts of the structure. The rapid response limited fire damage to the malfunctioning equipment itself, sparing the building’s structure from significant harm.
The business owner arrived shortly after crews began their work. Despite the rain, occupants from neighbouring units watched as firefighters deployed a high-pressure fan to ventilate the smoke-filled premises. As a safety precaution, power to the unit was disconnected.
Whilst the fire was contained quickly, the rug restoration business sustained heavy smoke damage throughout, with the unit’s contents significantly affected. After ventilating the premises and conducting atmospheric monitoring to ensure the air was safe, firefighters returned control of the unit to its owner just before 7.45pm.
Emergency crews also checked surrounding factory units to confirm no one was inside or had been affected by smoke inhalation. NSW Ambulance attended the scene, but no injuries were reported.
The incident serves as a reminder of the importance of equipment maintenance and the value of vigilant neighbours in preventing industrial fires from escalating.
Published 23-September-2025
