A fire broke out at Sydney’s Olympic Park Aquatic Centre on Monday, with black smoke billowing out of the roof.
Fire and Rescue NSW responded to the incident after multiple triple-0 calls reported the fire about 12.30pm.
The fire started after solar panels on the roof caught alight, FRNSW confirmed with NCA NewsWire, but the blaze did not extend into the building and the fire is now under control.
A witness told 2GB radio station she saw seeing hundreds of kids wearing swimming costumes running out the rear entrance of the Sydney International Aquatic Centre.
“I could see hundreds of kids running out the rear entrance with just their costumes on, it was really alarming,” Michelle told 2GB.
She said she could see firefighters on ladders spraying water onto the roof which was “completely ablaze”.
Another witness Peter told 2GB people were being “herded outside” and had been told solar panels had caught on fire.
“Flames everywhere and it’s just spreading horizontally along the roof,” he said.
NCA NewsWire understands some 2500 people were evacuated from the centre.
No one was injured in the fire, a spokesman for FRNSW said, but one person may have suffered an injury after slipping during the evacuation.
It is understood the Combined High School Swimming Championships were being held at the Aquatic Centre with about 2000 students competing.
More to come.