Australian fire crews tackle fire burning through 150,000 tyres at tyre yard

Fire crews were called in to tackle a fire on Monday (January 11) at a tyre yard that saw 150,000 up in flames, creating a smoke plume visible from Melbourne’s central business district kilometers away.

Staff from the yard and the nearby industrial area were evacuated as the Metropolitan Fire Brigade deployed dozens of trucks with more than 100 firefighters tackling the blaze from the ground, local media reported.

Firefighters on the ground struggled struggled with the intense heat created by the blaze. Helicopters with fire retardant were called in to help bring the fire under control.

The fire spread to the factory’s shipment containers and nearby grassland as smoke warnings were issued to local residents and an emergency community meeting was called.

“Even though we’re making a dent in the fire, this you know, we’ll have a presence there for the next 24 to 36 hours,” said Metropolitan Fire Brigade Deputy Chief Officer, Andrew Zammit.

Local media reported that fire investigators are looking into the cause of the blaze, with authorities believing it wass not suspicious. (Reuters)