Major fire at Homebush West electrical substation

Firefighters are being forced to let a large fire at a power substation burn itself out in Sydney’s west.

The fire at the electrical substation broke out about 2am Friday in Homebush West, at a power switching station next to the M4 motorway.

A Fire and Rescue NSW spokesman told NewsWire firefighters could not get close enough to extinguish the blaze because of the electrical risk.

“Due to the nature of the high-voltage electrical equipment involved, and in consultation with emergency services, we have let the fire burn out under controlled conditions,” the spokesperson said.

“The cause of the incident is not yet known and will be investigated once it is safe to access the site.”

The fire is at the Mason Park sub-transmission switching station, which transmits enough electricity for about 27,000 houses each day.

Images from the scene show scores of fire trucks at the scene in the pre-dawn hours, as firefighters watch flames bursting high above the power station infrastructure. No injuries have been reported.

Originally published as Major fire at Homebush West electrical substation