Two teenage boys hand themselves in to police over Sydney fire

Two 13-year-old boys have turned themselves into police after a devastating fire engulfed a seven-storey heritage building in central Sydney. More than 100 firefighters tackled the fire, which was started on Tuesday afternoon, and law enforcement believes other teenagers were involved. 

Fifteen people were sleeping rough in the building at the time of the fire and 13 of them have been accounted for. The fire has displaced around 70 residents from surrounding buildings, with an exclusion zone expected to stay in place for seven days. 

The teenagers who handed themselves in are now assisting with the investigation. 

Fire and Rescue New South Wales classified the fire as a “10th” alarm status on Tuesday – the most severe level.

The historic building had been unoccupied for years but there were plans to convert it into a hotel.