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Fruit packing warehouse catches fire as 200 workers evacuate and locals warn of smoke inhalation
- Firefighters battle a massive fire at a fruit warehouse in East Melbourne
- Huge columns of smoke can be seen miles away from the city
- 200 workers evacuated with smoke inhalation warnings issued
Hundreds of workers have been evacuated after a fruit packing warehouse caught fire.
Multiple crews from the Country Fire Authority and Victoria Fire Brigade are currently battling a massive wildfire that has broken out in Wantirna South in Melbourne’s east.
Up to 200 workers have been evacuated from the High Street Road facility as authorities issued a smoke inhalation warning for residents of Glen Waverley and Wantirna South.
A fruit packing warehouse burst into flames in eastern Melbourne on Tuesday afternoon.
Dramatic images from the scene show the fully lit single-storey facility, believed to be Big Watermelon Wholesale as temperatures soared to a sweltering 36C on Tuesday.
Black plumes of smoke can be seen billowing for miles across the city to Hawthorn, which is 19 miles away.
“There’s a lot of black smoke,” a listener told 3AW.
High Street Road is currently closed in both directions and motorists are urged to avoid the area and use Burwood Highway and Springvale Road as alternative routes.
“Dense smoke will be visible from nearby roads and communities,” a CFA alert states.
“There is currently no threat to the community, but you should continue to be informed and monitor conditions.”
The massive fire is expected to cause afternoon rush hour traffic delays on the Monash Highway.
Black billowing columns of smoke could be a scene in Melbourne more than 30km away
Multiple fire crews battle wildfire in Wantirna South