Toxic Warehouse Fire Rages, Forces Schools to Close in Melbourne

Mimi Nguyen Ly
By Mimi Nguyen Ly
August 30, 2018World News
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A toxic industrial warehouse fire lit up the morning sky on Aug. 30 in Melbourne, with thick smoke billowing across the city skyline forcing residents to seek shelter and schools to shut.

Authorities were warning that the fire may not be extinguished for days, but that the blaze should be under control by the end of the day, AAP reported.

Melbourne Metropolitan Fire Brigade (MFB) said the fire in West Footscray began around 5 a.m. local time, with more than 100 firefighters battling the blaze, according to the Nine Network.

MFB Acting Deputy Chief Officer Ken Brown said that the warehouse contained acetone and oxyacetylene, which energized the fire.

MFB acting chief officer Greg Leach said the warehouse building contained a high fuel load which included hazardous chemicals, and said that the defensive attack by firefighters sent up a large plume of black smoke, AAP reported.

Firefighters are being rotated to minimise their exposure to any toxins, while authorities also work to figure out what other chemicals are inside.

Eleven public schools, 38 childcare centres, and eight Catholic schools in the affected areas were also closed, AAP reported. Planes were also diverted from the area, according to the ABC.

“This is one of the biggest we have seen in Melbourne for a long time,” Leach said. “We received a call to the premises here before 5 a.m. What we were confronted with was a large warehouse building fully involved in fire. The building is around 120m wide by 70m wide.”

“The focus has been trying to protect the neighbouring buildings, preventing further buildings from catching on fire, before we focused on trying to extinguish the fire,” he said.

Stay Indoors

Emergency Management Commissioner Andrew Crisp urged residents around the area to stay indoors, close doors and windows, and stay away from the fire.

“If you don’t need to be in this particular area, don’t go in this area,” he said. “We don’t want to see people sticky-beaking. Community safety’s really important.”

A watch and act alert has been issued for Altona, Altona East, Altona Gate, Altona North, Brooklyn, Footscray, Kingsville, Newport, Port Melbourne, Seaholme, Seddon, South Kingsville, Spotswood, Sunshine, Tottenham, West Footscray, Williamstown, Williamstown North, Yarraville.

Schools are expected to open as per usual tomorrow.

“We anticipate all affected schools will be able to operate as normal tomorrow,” a MFB spokeswoman said in a statement.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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