A factory fire in Kilsyth has been declared suspicious as detectives investigate the blaze which required an extensive effort from firefighters on New Years Day.
The Canterbury Road factory, a curtain and blind distributor, located between Liverpool Road and Mount Dandenong Road was the target of the early morning fire.
Montrose CFA led the response arriving at around 3.10am on 1 January where firefighters found the building “well alight”.
The response saw assistance from The Basin, Mooroolbark, Bayswater, Mt Evelyn, Ferntree Gully, Upper Ferntree Gully, Lilydale, Boronia, Yellingbo, Hoddles Creek, Coldstream, Chirnside Park and South Warrandyte fire brigades.
Fire Rescue Victoria stations 26, 85 and 22 provided pumpers and stations 1 and 25 assisted in gaining height via ladder platforms to douse the fire from above.
Scoresby CFA’s Hose Layer provided over 400m of 100mm hose to supply the two ladder platform appliances who were delivering a combined 7000 litres per minute of water onto the fire.
“A job of this size takes team work,” Montrose CFA posted on social media.
The fire caused extensive damage to the premises and required the closure of Canterbury Road in both directions, with city bound lanes and one Montrose bound lane reopening around 1pm.
No one was inside at the time and the investigation remains ongoing.
The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) also issued a warning for local residents to avoid contact with water in Taralla Creek between Bayswater Road and Colchester Road because of firewater runoff affecting the creek. An odour may also be detected.
This was the second blind factory to be engulf in flames in the east, after a Bayswater distributor was also impacted on 23 December.
The Melrich Road premise was issuing smoke and flames at around 4.25am.
“Wearing breathing apparatus (BA) and utilising specialist aerial appliances to deliver water from a height, firefighters worked to extinguish the fire, bringing the incident under control within 1hr 45 minutes, having contended with a high fuel load and partial structural collapse,” an FRV statement said.
“There were no occupants on scene at the time of the incident and no injuries reported.”
Anyone with information, CCTV footage or who witnessed the incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit an online report via www.crimestoppers.com.au
