- If you have pictures or saw the fire please get in contact with us at scoop@smh.com.au or @smh on Twitter
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Around 100 people were evacuated from a eight-storey building on George Street after a fire broke out in its basement on Tuesday.
Firefighters said the fire started in the kitchen of the Emperor's Choice Chinese restaurant just before 4pm and spread to the roof via an outside flue.
"The fire's occured in a downstairs area in a restaurant and has travelled up the chimney, or the flue, up the outside and onto the roof," Fire & Rescue NSW Superintendent Ian Krimmer said.
Huge plumes of dark smoke and a flame on the outside of the building could be seen from nearby office buildings and the footpath on what is one of Sydney's busiest streets.
An office worker who did not want to be named said he saw the fire from an adjacent building and left the area because it smelled "toxic". He said the flame went up in a matter of minutes.
By around 4.30pm the blaze was out, and by around 5pm firefighters were allowing people back into the building.
Superintendent Krimmer said firefighters were on the scene within two minutes and it was due to that rapid response that the fire was quickly contained.
He said there was fire damage to the kitchen and some water damage to the restaurant. They do not know what caused the fire to start.
The Transport Management Centre said one northbound lane closed on George Street, but by 6pm had reopened.
There was heavy northbound traffic near Margaret St.
Pics " Earlier kitchen & exhaust flue
#fire created a lot of smoke & flame.
#FRNSW remain on scene, George St.
pic.twitter.com/Th8M4sxFp2 — Fire & Rescue NSW (@FRNSW)
September 2, 2014
More to come