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Newcastle Herald
Newcastle Herald
National

Street reopening in sight two months after woolshed fire

The Wickham wool store ablaze. Picture: Simone De Peak
Rubble after demolition at the Annie Street fire scene. Picture: Simon McCarthy
Picture: Simon McCarthy
Picture: Simon McCarthy
Picture: Simon McCarthy
Picture: Simon McCarthy
Picture: Simon McCarthy
Picture: Simon McCarthy
EPA director of regional operations David Gathercole. Picture: Simon McCarthy
Crews cleaning debris from the Annie Street a week after the blaze destroyed two former woolsheds and sent material containing asbestos into nearby neighbourhoods. Picture: Marina Neil
Crews cleaning debris from the Annie Street a week after the blaze destroyed two former woolsheds and sent material containing asbestos into nearby neighbourhoods. Picture: Marina Neil
Crews cleaning debris from the Annie Street a week after the blaze destroyed two former woolsheds and sent material containing asbestos into nearby neighbourhoods. Picture: Marina Neil
Crews cleaning debris from the Annie Street a week after the blaze destroyed two former woolsheds and sent material containing asbestos into nearby neighbourhoods. Picture: Marina Neil
Crews cleaning debris from the Annie Street a week after the blaze destroyed two former woolsheds and sent material containing asbestos into nearby neighbourhoods. Picture: Marina Neil
Crews cleaning debris from the Annie Street a week after the blaze destroyed two former woolsheds and sent material containing asbestos into nearby neighbourhoods. Picture: Marina Neil
Crews cleaning debris from the Annie Street a week after the blaze destroyed two former woolsheds and sent material containing asbestos into nearby neighbourhoods. Picture: Marina Neil
Crews cleaning debris from the Annie Street a week after the blaze destroyed two former woolsheds and sent material containing asbestos into nearby neighbourhoods. Picture: Marina Neil
Crews cleaning debris from the Annie Street a week after the blaze destroyed two former woolsheds and sent material containing asbestos into nearby neighbourhoods. Picture: Marina Neil
Crews cleaning debris from the Annie Street a week after the blaze destroyed two former woolsheds and sent material containing asbestos into nearby neighbourhoods. Picture: Marina Neil
Crews cleaning debris from the Annie Street a week after the blaze destroyed two former woolsheds and sent material containing asbestos into nearby neighbourhoods. Picture: Marina Neil
Crews cleaning debris from the Annie Street a week after the blaze destroyed two former woolsheds and sent material containing asbestos into nearby neighbourhoods. Picture: Marina Neil
Crews cleaning debris from the Annie Street a week after the blaze destroyed two former woolsheds and sent material containing asbestos into nearby neighbourhoods. Picture: Marina Neil
Crews cleaning debris from the Annie Street a week after the blaze destroyed two former woolsheds and sent material containing asbestos into nearby neighbourhoods. Picture: Marina Neil
Crews cleaning debris from the Annie Street a week after the blaze destroyed two former woolsheds and sent material containing asbestos into nearby neighbourhoods. Picture: Marina Neil
Crews cleaning debris from the Annie Street a week after the blaze destroyed two former woolsheds and sent material containing asbestos into nearby neighbourhoods. Picture: Marina Neil
Crews cleaning debris from the Annie Street a week after the blaze destroyed two former woolsheds and sent material containing asbestos into nearby neighbourhoods. Picture: Marina Neil
Crews cleaning debris from the Annie Street a week after the blaze destroyed two former woolsheds and sent material containing asbestos into nearby neighbourhoods. Picture: Marina Neil
Crews cleaning debris from the Annie Street a week after the blaze destroyed two former woolsheds and sent material containing asbestos into nearby neighbourhoods. Picture: Marina Neil
Crews cleaning debris from the Annie Street a week after the blaze destroyed two former woolsheds and sent material containing asbestos into nearby neighbourhoods. Picture: Marina Neil
The Wickham wool store ablaze. Picture: Matthew Kelly
Crews cleaning debris from the Annie Street a week after the blaze destroyed two former woolsheds and sent material containing asbestos into nearby neighbourhoods. Picture: Marina Neil
Crews cleaning debris from the Annie Street a week after the blaze destroyed two former woolsheds and sent material containing asbestos into nearby neighbourhoods. Picture: Marina Neil
Picture: Fire and Rescue NSW
The Wickham wool store ablaze. Picture: Simone De Peak
The Wickham wool store ablaze. Picture: Simone De Peak
The Wickham wool store ablaze. Picture: Simone De Peak
The Wickham wool store ablaze. Picture: Simone De Peak
The Wickham wool store ablaze. Picture: Simone De Peak
The Wickham wool store ablaze. Picture: Simone De Peak
The Wickham wool store ablaze. Picture: Simone De Peak
The Wickham wool store ablaze. Picture: Simone De Peak
The Wickham wool store ablaze. Picture: Simone De Peak
Residents of the neighbouring area watch on as the former Wickham Wool Store is engulfed in a massive fire. Picture: Simone De Peak
Residents of the neighbouring area watch on as the former Wickham Wool Store is engulfed in a massive fire. Picture: Simone De Peak

It appears that a Wickham street will soon reopen after being closed for two months since an inferno destroyed a four-storey former woolshed building, raged close to millions of litres of stored fuel and sent asbestos 3km into nearby suburbs.

A City of Newcastle spokesperson said contractors had cleaned the roof of the remaining woolshed on the corner of Annie and Milford streets and it had been cleared by a licenced asbestos inspector.

wickham_10th_alarm (Original)

Grass verges on Milford Street, which has been closed since the March 3 fire, will be deep cleaned by removing the top layer of grass and soil and laying new turf. A contractor for the woolshed owner is doing the work.

"We expect these works to be completed within the next week, subject to weather," the spokesperson said.

"Once City of Newcastle receives a clearance certificate, Milford Street will be able to be fully reopened."

The blaze destroyed the four-storey structure, raged within metres of millions of litres of fuel stored on adjacent land and sent debris containing asbestos about 3km north west of the scene.

THE WICKHAM BLAZE:

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