Toxic Vic blaze extinguished, cause sought

A Melbourne chemical factory fire has stopped burning four days after it spewed toxic smoke over the suburbs, while a burnt worker has finally left hospital.

A view from nearby a factory fire in north Melbourne

A factory fire that sent toxic smoke across Melbourne has finally been extinguished after four days. (AAP)

A toxic Melbourne factory fire has finally been extinguished after four days, but an investigation into the cause of the blaze has only just begun.

The Metropolitan Fire Brigade on Tuesday confirmed that a chemical waste processing plant at Campbellfield in the northern suburbs was no longer burning.

The blaze began on Friday when worker Vignesh Varatharaja pumped liquid from a chemical drum which exploded, setting alight his clothing.

He has since been discharged from a specialist burns unit at The Alfred hospital.

Fire experts and police arson investigators have moved in to the Campbellfield site to determine why the blaze started.

It sent plumes of toxic smoke across Melbourne, evacuating nearby businesses and closing some schools.

Owners of the factory, Bradbury Industrial Services, had their licence suspended by the environmental watchdog in March for stockpiling chemical waste.

Broadmeadows resident Mick Lewis called for chemical industrial waste to be removed from the area, and for the state government to properly regulate the materials.

"If we have to deal with these people, they are multi-millionaires, they can afford to burn a factory down rather than get (materials) treated and not give a stuff about the people," he said.

"We've gotta get onto our government .. and say 'what are you going to do about it? We want chemical, industrial waste out of the area'."

The fire site is under 24-hour guard, being managed by WorkSafe.


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Source: AAP



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