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One man has been taken to hospital with smoke inhalation after a huge fire at a sports hall in the Sydney Olympic Park precinct on Friday afternoon.
Dozens of firefighters responded to the blaze when it began just before 2.30pm on Friday, with some witnesses reporting hearing a bang before the building went up in flames.
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A large fire has broken out at Sydney Olympic Park precinct causing smoke to billow out across the city's west.
Photographs from the scene show plumes of black smoke rising high into the air.
Superintendent Adam Dewberry from Fire and Rescue NSW told reporters two fire trucks were sent to Monster Skatepark after an automated fire alarm sounded.
The fire sent black smoke high into the air. Photo: Twitter/Alastair Glass
When they arrived, they found "thick, acrid black smoke" and the emergency response was escalated.
"The fire was thick, it was starting to escalate prior to brigades' arrival," Supt Dewberry said, adding several people called triple zero.
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"Fire crews were able to get in very quickly and start applying water to extinguish the fire. The cause and origin of the fire will be investigated throughout the evening."
Firefighters were initially concerned there were people inside the building, however those inside "self-evacuated".
There were estimated to be a dozen trucks and 40 firefighters on the scene. Photo: Supplied
One man, estimated to be in his 40s, was taken to Concord Hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation.
The fire took about an hour to contain, with 80 firefighters responding to the scene at Showground Road when the fire was at its peak. Crews are expected to remain at the scene into the night.
Fire trucks at the scene at Sydney Olympic Park. Photo: Fire and Rescue NSW
Murray Wilton, the general manager of the Royal Easter Show - held at Olympic Park several weeks ago - told radio station 2GB the building involved has a concrete floor.
"There is a lot of smoke, and I'm not exactly sure what has burnt inside that building," Mr Wilton said.
About 80 firefighters were at the scene when the fire was at its peak. Photo: Fire and Rescue NSW
He said the "whole top of the building is singed" and flames were visible. When the fire was extinguished, vents at the top of the building were left blackened by flames and smoke.
Mr Wilton estimated there were a dozen fire trucks on the scene.
People familiar with Monster Skatepark said it has large pits that are filled with foam blocks, which could have fuelled the fire. The skate park also has wooden ramps.
A webcam in the outdoor area of the skate park captured the emergency incident as it unfolded, streaming footage to its website.
Fire trucks and police were seen arriving at the building and unfurling hoses to fight the fire. Once the blaze was contained, fire crews could be seen mopping up as police patrolled the area.
On its Facebook page, Monster Skatepark said it would be closed until further notice.
"To all of our supportive Monster family and shredders, we have had a recent fire within our indoor skatepark, no one has been hurt and everyone has been evacuated safely," the skate park said.
"Unfortunately due to these events we will not be open this weekend until further notice. The Monster Family would like to send our deepest apologies to everyone and we apologise for any inconvenience this has caused."
The incident is not expected to have an impact on the NRL game at nearby ANZ Stadium on Friday night.
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