DRIVERS have been urged to avoid Parry Street after a blaze in the Rahmani's Rug Gallery building left the it at risk of "impending structural collapse".
Efforts to quench the blaze continue on Tuesday and there is no access to Parry Street, which becomes King Street, from Denison Street, Skelton Street or Wood Street as of 9am on Tuesday.
Parry Street is closed in both directions between Tudor Street and Stewart Avenue, Live Traffic NSW reports.
The closure comes after more than 15 fire trucks were called in to help fight the Newcastle West blaze on Monday night after a fire erupted in the two-storey Parry Street address.
As driving rain fell across the city crews from Merewether, Carrington, Mayfield and Lambton were among those who tried to fight the blaze in the building badged for Rahmani's Rug Gallery.
Fire and Rescue Merewether said challenges in the blaze included "impending structural collapse" and the building's two frontages.
Acting superintendent Rob Janson said multiple calls alerted firefighters to the blaze about 11.25pm on Monday night.
Five trucks rushed to the scene before reinforcements were called in.
Acting Superintendent Hanson said crews remained on scene shortly on Monday and a fire investigator was en route to the scene from Sydney to examine how the blaze ignited.
He said the rug business had "made for a very smoky, difficult fire to get to", the contents and building had been totally destroyed by the blaze and nobody had been found within the building.
Crews were unable to access the entire building due to the risk of collapse.
IN THE NEWS:
- Recipe for . . . what? On-street parking spaces for dining in Lake Mac trial: SUBSCRIBER
- John Hunter visitors to wear masks as coronavirus restrictions return
- Sunday's flash flooding across the region in pictures
- Drones used to smuggle drugs into Cessnock jail
- Robert Dillon on Connor Watson, boots and all in Indigenous round: SUBSCRIBER
- Latest snapshot of COVID-19 impact
