A TERRIFYING inferno that tore through a Mayfield business last month has left parts of the suburb littered with suspected asbestos fragments, sparking concern among neighbouring residents about potential risks.
The blaze, which blanketed the suburb in thick, black smoke, broke out on the afternoon of May 18 at Hunter Valley Whitegoods.
The roof of the building was made of asbestos, and, three weeks on, homes surrounding the site are still being assessed for cleanup.
When the blaze erupted, Waratah Street resident Lynn Phillips was at work, but her husband was evacuated from their home. About 30 properties were evacuated that night.
"My husband was home at the time, he heard the cracks and saw the whole thing unfold, so it was a bit unsettling for him," she said.
"It was quite scary. He was quite upset, and quite worried about it.
"He saw it before those big grey plumes of smoke went up, and then he was outside handing out masks to people."
An assessor told the couple on Friday that suspected asbestos fragments had been found at their home.
The pair were told not to mow the lawn, and Ms Phillips said they would probably have to pull up their vegetable garden.
"We just want to get it cleared, and to get it done sooner rather than later," she said.
"It's a concern, asbestos is not anything anyone wants around.
"Hopefully there isn't long-term implications, we don't have to worry as much because we don't have young children, but if I did, I wouldn't want them to be playing out in the yard."
A number of other Mayfield residents have shared their concerns on social media.
It is the second time the business has caught alight, with a fire breaking out at the previous premises in 2014.
Business owner Jimmy Tselembis told NBN News his insurance would not cover the asbestos remediation.
"All of a sudden, the fire happens, and since then my whole life just turned upside down and sideways," he said.
"This is the haunting part now, the insurance pretty well tell me [sic] from the beginning I was not covered for asbestos."
City of Newcastle has been managing the cleanup since the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) handed over responsibility for the incident three days after the fire.
A spokeswoman for the council said it had spent more than $250,000 managing the cleanup in public spaces, as well as managing broader cleanup in the area "given the refusal to date of the insurer to do so."
The council and the EPA have identified an eight-hectare area south-west of the fire site and have been tracking reports of material suspected of containing asbestos.
A council spokeswoman said rain at the time and in the following two weeks had suppressed dust from the site, and had lowered the effects of any contamination.
"City of Newcastle has been assisting residents and property owners who were asked to report suspected asbestos materials on their private properties, and properties where we reasonably expect to see a level of asbestos contamination," she said.
"This includes engaging licensed asbestos assessors to visually verify properties."
Those assessments are helping the council provide advice to property owners and residents, who are advised to raise a claim with their insurer or directly engage their own licensed asbestos assessor.
The council spokeswoman said property owners had to manage cleanup on private property using licensed companies and provide certification of completion to the EPA.
Newcastle MP Tim Crakanthorp said he door-knocked residents who were close to the fire on multiple occasions since the incident to ensure they were safe and had up-to-date information.
"I encourage residents to contact City of Newcastle if they spot any debris that they suspect could be asbestos, and for any other information regarding the fire and its clean up," he said.
A council information page about the fire said the risk to the broader community remained low, with air monitoring during the initial street clean finding "no evidence" of airborne asbestos above the detection limit.
The risk increases when asbestos is broken up or handled incorrectly, which is why the council has urged residents to avoid disturbing any fragments.
There is no one 'way' the fragments may appear, but they can have a fairy floss, wool or plasterboard-like texture.
The council website warned residents to keep away from contaminated areas such as yards, balconies, roofs and driveways and install temporary barriers where practical.
