A fire at an apartment complex in Perth, Western Australia, is being investigated as possible arson, adding to a series of blazes across the country while the east coast is battered by torrential rain. The blaze broke out on Hubert Street in East Victoria Park at 10.15pm on Thursday night, prompting the evacuation of residents. Only one home was damaged, and authorities have prevented residents from returning to their apartments pending the investigation.
Meanwhile, firefighters in Queensland and New South Wales battled several deadly blazes. A fire at an industrial site in Logan, south of Brisbane, was still burning on Friday morning, with fears of dangerous explosions due to stored chemicals. The shed contained thousands of tyres and 44-gallon drums of oil and grease, sending toxic smoke over the area. Around 50 firefighters remained at the scene after the blaze broke out shortly before midnight on Thursday.
In Sydney, firefighters responded to a factory fire in Prestons and a terrace blaze in Darlinghurst, where seven residents were rescued. The Darlinghurst fire is believed to have been sparked by an electric bike charging. More than 100 firefighters tackled the Prestons factory fire, which also raised concerns about chemical explosions.
Millions of people are on high alert as a 'life-threatening' rain event continues to pummel Australia's east coast. A severe weather warning is in place for the New South Wales mid-north coast, with up to 600mm of rain predicted for Coffs Harbour over the next 36 hours. The Bureau of Meteorology warned of 'intense rainfall which may lead to dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding' over the Mid North Coast and parts of the Hunter region.
Commuters faced flooding at Lewisham station in Sydney's inner west, and the morning commute was thrown into disarray. Sydney could see 50mm of rain on Friday, followed by 120mm on Saturday, as the 1,200km-long weather system moves southwards towards the city.
