Lansdell said the chemical manufacturing plant had complied with two notices issued to “make sure they’d cleaned everything up” since the last fire, but the size of Wednesday’s inferno had overawed stormwater valves that helped stop contaminated firewater running off the site.
“We’re really tough on environmental crime and hold polluters to account,” Lansdell told ABC radio, “We’ll be working really closely with WorkSafe and other regulators given there were still investigations going for the previous incident.”
Firefighters have brought a massive blaze at a commercial premises in Derrimut under control.Credit: Joe Armao
Kerosene, fuel, methylated spirits and ethanol were among the chemicals in the factory, Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) deputy commissioner Michelle Cowling said.
Joshua Fischer, FRV’s deputy commissioner for community safety, said on Thursday morning some nearby businesses would be allowed to return soon after “significant progress” was made dousing the flames overnight.
“In excess of 3 million litres of water and 40,000 litres of foam has been used to suppress this fire,” Fischer said.
“It is going to take some time to ascertain the exact cause, and we also need to gain access to the scene which is an active fire area with lots of contaminants and structural integrity issues of the remaining building.”
The intense fire caused chemical drums to explode, launching them high into the air and endangering people outside the firefighting zone.
About 180 firefighters and dozens of trucks responded to the blaze, which reached a seventh-alarm level. No previous fire has passed a fifth-alarm level since FRV became an agency.
FRV Commissioner Gavin Freeman on Thursday said seventh-alarm fires were “extremely rare”.
“This was one of the most complex industrial fires in Melbourne since 2018,” he said, referring to a blaze in Melbourne’s west in August of that year that at the time was described as it was one of the city’s biggest fires in decades.
The alarm number determines the resources and number of personnel required to bring the fire under control. Most incidents FRV attends are first and second alarms, while industrial fires are often classed as third or fourth alarms due to high fuel loads or other complicating factors.
“[The Derrimut] fire was a seventh alarm due to the risks posed by the many chemicals that were located in the factory, which made this fire particularly challenging to contain,” Freeman said.
“I would like to praise the efforts of our people. Thankfully, nobody was injured in this incident.”
Freeman said FRV would remain on site at Derrimut until the fire was fully extinguishing and would work with the EPA, WorkSafe and Melbourne Water to help mitigate any potential impacts.
On Thursday, Lansdell said the EPA would test the affected waterways, and sandbag to stop any contaminants moving further downstream. Specialist trucks would also suck out some affected stormwater, he said.
The now-contaminated Cherry Creek snakes south from the Ring Road and Western Freeway interchange through Anderson’s Swamp in Derrimut grassland and industrial estates in Laverton North before crossing under the West Gate Freeway.
In Altona, the waterway passes close to homes before entering Cherry Lake, which is surrounded by parkland and sports clubs. Cherry Creek eventually enters Port Phillip Bay at the Altona boat ramp in Seaholme.
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Kayes Drain is slightly further west, passing near the Swann Drive factory on Mt Derrimut Road and flowing downstream past more factories in Laverton to the Princes Freeway near Kororoit Creek Road. It then connects to Laverton Creek, which runs adjacent to Altona Meadows before entering the bay.
Premier Jacinta Allan said she “can appreciate those questions being raised” about how two major fires occurred at the same factory in less than a year, but she “just wanted to be careful” in commenting further while investigations were under way.
“We have, in recent years, strengthened the powers, particularly of the EPA … and this will be thoroughly investigated by those agencies,” Allan told reporters on Thursday morning.
Lansdell said the threat of toxic smoke had dissipated, and the agency hadn’t received any reports of ash damaging property.
“But, if you do observe any ash residue on your property, wash down impacted surfaces and any fruit and vegetables before eating them,” an EPA alert said.
Victor Arutjunow, director of the chemical blending company, hung up when contacted by The Age on Thursday morning. Matthew Arutjunow, the company’s general manager, also declined to speak.
WorkSafe was on site on Wednesday and is still investigating the deadly October fire which left the building intact and was contained to the property’s rear.
FRV said Victoria Police would also investigate the latest blaze.
Water Minister Harriet Shing said Melbourne Water was helping test and remove the firewater runoff.
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Source Agencies
