Hydroponic cannabis set-up found after Mascot car park fire

Investigators have found a hydroponic cannabis set-up after a fire damaged an industrial building in Mascot on Monday morning.

The fire started about 4.15am in the building on O'Riordan Street, near Ewan Street. Fire and Rescue NSW Inspector Brad Smith said 16 firefighters battled the blaze.

“On arrival, fire crews were confronted with flames coming out of the building,” he told Nine News at 5.30am.

The upper level of the building was well alight when emergency services arrived, and fire crews were initially worried cars in a valet car park on the lower level had been destroyed.

Police later said the cars in the car park sustained smoke and water damage.

Once the fire was put out, a hydroponic cannabis growing set-up was found in the upper level of the two-storey building.

A NSW Police spokeswoman said there were no reports of injuries and no one was believed to have been inside the building at the time of the fire.

A police spokeswoman said it was unclear how damaged the upper level of the building was at this stage as it had not yet been deemed safe enough for investigators to access properly.

Officers from Botany Bay Police Area Command have established a crime scene.

Traffic was disrupted for about two hours after O'Riordan Street was closed while firefighters battled the blaze.

While all north-bound lanes of O'Riordan Street were reopened by 6.45am, the Transport Management Centre said traffic would remain heavy in the area throughout the peak.

Motorists travelling to Sydney Airport were advised to allow extra travel time until traffic returns to normal.

Rachel Clun is a reporter at the Sydney Morning Herald. She was previously a reporter with the Brisbane Times and Domain.

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