A large fire that raged out of control at a metal factory in Melbourne’s west has been brought under control.
It took more than 70 firefighters and about 20 trucks two-and-a-half hours to control the scrap metal fire at the OneSteel factory in Laverton North on Dohertys Road.
The blaze broke out before 6pm on Friday.
A Metropolitan Fire Brigade spokesman said firefighters used specialist equipment to break-up the fire.
Atmospheric monitoring was conducted throughout the night to monitor the potential impact of the smoke for firefighters and the community.
The cause is yet to be determined.
An MFB spokesman said it is believed a metal-shredding machine started the fire in the factory’s scrap metal yard.
“It’s a big one,” he said on Friday afternoon. “People have seen smoke from the city.”
He said the fire had flames of up to 10 metres, in an area that is 100 by 50 metres.
He said it was unclear whether the factory was occupied when the blaze started, but there did not seem to be any threat to life. Ambulance crews are on standby.
OneSteel is reportedly Australia’s largest manufacturer and distributor of structural, rail, rod, merchant bar, reinforcing, wire, tube and pipeline steel products.
The Age
