The large blaze occurred around midnight on May 5 in Glenray’s administration, laundry and dry cleaning services site.

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) Central West zone commander Superintendent Brett Jackson said due to the “high fuel loading” in the premises, it took firefighters 14 hours to extinguish the blaze.

The FRNSW’s Fire Investigation and Research Unit officers were then called to the scene to investigate.

“They have been unable to pinpoint the cause, but they have put it down to an accidental cause,” Supt Jackson said.

“Police and fire investigations crews are not concerned that it was deliberately lit at this stage.”

In the wake of several destructive fires in commercial premises across the region, Supt Jackson has urged business owners to have plans and procedures in place to prevent fires.

Firefighters recently responded to a building fire in McNamara Street in Orange where the blaze was contained to a skip bin inside the building, resulting in only minor damage. This follows fires in a chemical factory and an old abattoir in Blayney earlier this year.

Supt Jackson said while the Glenray fire was determined to be accidental, “some of these recent fires may have been prevented by simple actions”.

“We are asking business owners to be careful with how they leave their premises at the end of the work day,” he said.

“Owners can help protect their businesses by undertaking regular maintenance of machinery, repairing or isolating faulty equipment and ensuring no unnecessary electrical equipment is left on overnight.”

Supt Jackson said it was important for businesses to properly secure premises at the end of the day and ensure combustible materials are not left close to buildings.

“Skip bins and pallets are best stored away from building walls where possible,” he said.

“We have seen many businesses destroyed by fires that started in a rubbish or skip bin located close to walls on the outside of the premises.

“These fires can have a devastating impact on local communities through loss of employment and services.”