A cycle shop is shut and partly under water and a road remains closed after a fire destroyed a dry cleaners in inner-west Sydney yesterday.
Do you know more? Message 0424 SMS SMH (+61 424 767 764), email us or message us on Twitter @smh with information or images.
Police and firefighters do not yet know what caused the fire at Hallmark Linen Services on King Street, Newtown to start just after 9pm.
King Street Cyclery, which is next to Hallmark Linen Services, suffered "substantial damage'' from the blaze, co-owner Edward Lancaster said.
Diners at a charity dinner at nearby Bloodwood restaurant were evacuated and firefighters were called in from six stations to battle the flames.
"I don't think we've had a big fire like this in Newtown for a long time,'' Mr Lancaster said. "Neighbours said the flames were as tall as the high school behind us.
"At least the building didn't burn down. [The firefighters] did a good job in saving the building but there's some water and stock damage. Some parts of the shop are seven inches [18 centimetres] under water.''
Superintendent Ian Krimmer of Fire and Rescue NSW said that, when firefighters arrived at the dry cleaners about 9.05pm, they found the fire burning through the roof of the two-storey building.
About 30 firefighters from six surrounding stations answered their call for help and King Street was closed to all traffic until the flames were put out about 12.30am, Superintendent Krimmer said.
He said the side and front walls at the dry cleaners collapsed and engineers were still determining how serious the structural damage to the building was.
Mr Lancaster said he had been on the telephone all morning and was not sure when he would be able to reopen his store.
He said he could be losing up to $5000 worth of sales each day, especially since he was entering his peak selling season.
"We have to replace computers, carpets. The place smells like fire. We want to aim to reopen on Saturday, but we'll have to wait and see.''
A staff member at Bloodwood said her restaurant was not damaged but a fund-raising dinner for gay and lesbian teen camps was cut short by the evacuation.
"It's very sad [for the dry cleaners]. We use the company as our linen company,'' she said.
Superintendent Krimmer said investigators were still trying to determine what caused the fire.
Police appealed for anyone with information to phone Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Traffic delays expected
One southbound lane on King Street remains closed after the fire, a NSW Transport spokesman said.
The spokesman said the 20-metre stretch of road near the dry cleaners could be closed for up to one or two days, and motorists were advised to avoid the area.
"There may be delays as traffic merges into one lane,'' he said.
Email a friend