Fire crews have gained the upper hand on a mega blaze that spanned two multi-storey blocks in the Sydney CBD.
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Earlier, the inferno caused the facade of one to dramatically collapse.
As flames spew out of the building, bricks and supports rain down on the laneway and buildings opposite.
Helicopter footage showed all floors of the building near Central Station and Elizabeth Street in Surry Hills well alight on Thursday afternoon.
Fire crews were spraying the building from the street and from aerial ladders.
More than 100 FRNSW firefighters, from 20 fire trucks and multiple stations, are now working to contain and extinguish the blaze.
At About 7pm, Fire and Rescue NSW confirmed that fire fighters had gotten "the upper hand" on the major fire. An exclusion zone remains in place and those nearby are being told to close their windows and external doors.
The inferno spread to a neighbour building, however both buildings are understood to be empty.
At least one vehicle in the vicinity has also been destroyed by fire.
A dark plume of smoke was visible across the central city.
Multiple Triple Zero calls were received when flames started engulfing the seven-storey building on Randle Street just after 4pm.
The public is urged to avoid the area as firefighting operations continue.
Sydney Trains are currently unaffected by the fire.
Fire and Rescue NSW has upgraded the fire to a '10th alarm' status, the highest possible, as firefighters continue to bring the blaze under control.
The buildings affected so far are understood to be vacant.
As the fight to grapple with the conflagration continues fire crews will remain on site throughout the night.
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