The old Zylman’s Antiques building went up in flames earlier this month, which has severely affected surrounding businesses. 

A nearby hairdressing salon and cafe have been forced to shut their doors due to the airborne asbestos from the blaze. 

Liverpool Plains mayor Andrew Hope said Work Cover and the Environmental Protection Authority had deemed both premises uninhabitable. 

“You’ve got to feel for them ... they’re devastated,” Cr Hope said. 

“Unfortunately it was left derelict with rubbish in it for so long, it was an accident waiting to happen in some ways.”

He said the recent destructive fire showed there was good cause for the council to intervene when properties lay dormant in a terrible state. 

The site is no longer a crime scene but the cause of the fire is still under investigation by Hunter Valley detectives. 

Crime manager, Detective Inspector Tim Seymour, dismissed reports the owner had been cleared from involvement in the incident, as the cause of the fire was still a mystery. 

“Police are still waiting on information from forensic services in terms of point of ignition,” Detective Inspector Seymour said. 

“The fire is still under investigation and will reported to the coroner.

“Inquiries are continuing and a number of leads have been identified by investigators, and police are looking at those.”

Cr Hope said the owner of the antiques store had been issued a notice to clean up the site. 

In the meantime, the council has approved an emergency development application for the hairdresser to be able to work from a different site, but the cafe owner is out of business. 

“We’re in the hands of the owner of the property at the moment, waiting,” Cr Hope said.