Update 0900, Friday 20 September: Firefighters will remain at the scene of a fire over the weekend, which has destroyed a large carpet warehouse at Dandenong South, as it continues to smoulder.
The large concrete building, which was used to store carpet, vinyl flooring and adhesives, has been substantially damaged causing the roof and some walls to collapse.
The risk of further collapse has hampered investigations and the cause is still unkown.
Roads in the immediate area remain closed. However, while some smoke is still issuing from the fire within the Dandenong South industrial area, it's not expected to have an impact on surrounding residents.
But, as a precaution, residents with breathing difficulties should remain indoors and close doors and windows.
CFA Senior Station Officer Rick Owen said firefighters did an outstanding job protecting two neighbouring businesses.
“If not for the good work of firefighters, the blaze could easily have spread, creating an incredibly dangerous situation,” said SSO Owen.
“The hard work of more than 100 firefighters, including volunteers and MFB staff, made sure the fire was contained to just one property.”
At the height of the fire more than 30 vehicles and 100 firefighters were at the scene, including MFB crews.
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Crews were called to the incident in Dunlopillo Drive about 6.00pm today (September 19) where a flooring factory was fully alight.
More than 100 firefighters worked for over an hour and a half to bring the blaze under control.
People working at the factory were leaving at the time the fire started and fortunately, no-one was injured.
Emergency services issued an Advice message to the Dandenong South and surrounding communities about smoke in the area. Residents have been advised to stay indoors with their windows and doors shut. Smoke may remain in the area into the morning.
Crews will remain on scene until tomorrow blacking out and cleaning up.
Part of the building has collapsed so a full assessment of the damage and any further works will need to be undertaken in daylight hours. This will include an investigation to determine the cause of the fire.
Keep up-to-date with the latest warnings and advice via the CFA website.
Author: CFA Media