Fire sends factory cylinder flying

By Callan Date
MORE than 50 firefighters helped battle a blaze at a furniture polishing factory in Narre Warren on Monday.
Smoke could be seen billowing out of the Vesper Drive factory from several kilometres away as the fire fully engulfed the business at about 11.30am.
CFA officers said the fire started after a 45kg gas cylinder exploded.
Local worker Danny Nash said he heard one large explosion several minutes before he was evacuated from a neighbouring factory.
“Something blew out of the factory and flew about 20 metres in the air,” Mr Nash said.
Sector commander Lieutenant Paul Hardy from Narre Warren CFA said the cylinder was blown out the front of the factory, taking a large chunk out of a tree as it flew through the air.
“The bottom part of the cylinder then struck and damaged a factory directly across from the fire and the main part of the cylinder just stopped short of a large window directly across from the main fire,” Lieutenant Hardy said.
He said CFA personnel faced several challenges while containing the fire including difficulty accessing water hydrants and an unstable building. CFA crews from Narre Warren, Hallam, Berwick, Hampton Park, Cranbourne, Dandenong and Frankston all responded to the fire. “A red flag warning was broadcast to all persons on the fire ground in regards to a tilt slab panel at the front of the building starting to crack and move and an exclusion zone was set up.
“There was no water to be found in the factory precinct and water had to be relayed from the Princes Highway some 150 metres away as well as any hydrants that could be found further down Vesper Drive,” Lieutenant Hardy said.
The fire took more than five hours to fully contain.
“The cause of the fire is still under investigation but is believed to not be suspicious,” he said.