The manager of the Mona Vale laundry and dry cleaner that caught fire last night (Thursday 7 March) is puzzled by the cause of the blaze.
At around 8.15pm fire crews from three stations, Mona Vale, Avalon and Narrabeen, responded to an alert that smoke was seen pouring out of the Hangout Drycleaning and Laundry at shop 3, 8-10 Waratah St.
Firefighters entered the premises from the side and doused the blaze with a hose connected to the street faucet. The owners arrived shortly afterwards and opened the front door to enable fire safety inspectors with thermal imaging cameras to confirm the fire hadn’t spread further into the ceiling and wall cavities.
Owner and Manager Alan Tran told Manly Observer, “The fireys came in but they weren’t able to give me an answer as why the fire happened. They were only able to tell me the area the fire started, which doesn’t make sense to me, because it wasn’t because of any of our machinery or electricals, or anything.
“They said the fire started where we keep our doonas that are completed [cleaned], on a shelf. There’s nothing around there that can start a fire, in my eyes. It doesn’t make sense.”
He added, “We’ll see when other people [fire experts] conduct their investigations, but for the moment they can’t tell me why the fire started. We’ll try and be back in business as fast as possible.”
What is the condition of the shop interior and smoke-affected garments?
“Pretty much everything in there is unsalvageable,” he lamented.
Thankfully, no injuries were reported.
Hangout Drycleaning contacted customers today, apologising to those affected by the fire: “Dear valued customers. It is with a heavy heart that I must share some devastating news…
“I am deeply saddened to know that some of your most cherished belongings were lost in the blaze. Please know that I will work tirelessly with my insurance to ensure everyone affected is fairly compensated for their losses…”
