Suspicious fire guts converted factory in Melbourne suburb

A converted factory in Melbourne's inner-west suburb of Spotswood was gutted by a suspicious fire early Tuesday morning. Fire crews responded just after 2:30 a.m. to find the building on Hudsons Road engulfed in flames. More than 50 firefighters worked for over two hours to bring the intense blaze under control.

“

We've had a pretty significant fire take hold in that initial building. Our firefighters have worked extremely hard to bring that fire under control.

Several neighboring buildings sustained damage from the fire, which was extinguished around 4:45 a.m. Nine people were evacuated from nearby premises as a precaution. Victoria Police confirmed that individuals were seen fleeing the scene in a utility vehicle. The building itself was completely lost, with fire rescue services noting the presence of asbestos and implementing decontamination procedures.

“

Unfortunately the initial premises where the fire has been reported has been completely lost and we've had some fire extension into some of the neighbouring premises.

Assistant Chief Fire Officer Greg Christison of Fire Rescue Victoria described the fire as "intense" and "significant." He stated that the investigation into the cause and origin of the fire is ongoing, with police treating it as suspicious. Residents in the area were advised to keep doors and windows closed and to turn off heating and cooling systems due to the smoke.

“

At this stage we're treating the fire as suspicious and we'll work through with Victoria Police and our fire investigation team to determine the cause and the nature of the origin of the fire.