By Samantha Walker
Firefighters are pouring 10,000 litres of water and fire retardant a minute onto a large tyre fire in Broadmeadows, even employing water bombing helicopters that are usually reserved for fighting bushfires in an attempt to control the blaze.
The large fire started just before 9am this morning, sending plumes of black smoke into the air that could be seen as far away as Mornington – 80km from the blaze.
The fire has incinerated around 60 per cent of the tyres at the 100 x 30m tyre dump on Maygar Boulevard, according to MFB authorities.
At a community meeting this afternoon, Melbourne Metropolitan Fire Brigade’s (MFB) Deputy Incident Controller, Andrew Zammit, said local residents downwind of the fire still need to keep their doors and windows closed.
“Take a common sense approach: if you’re in the smoke, and you happen to live in the smoke (affected area), I wouldn’t recommend that you’d be opening the doors and letting the smoke come in,” Mr Zammit said.
The smoke from the fire is considered to be toxic and the Environment Protection Authorities have begun monitoring air quality in the area.
Residents in the nearby suburbs of Broadmeadows, Campbellfield, Coolaroo, Dallas, Fawkner, Gladstone Park, Glenroy, Gowanbrae, Hadfield, Jacana, Lalor, Meadow Heights, Reservoir, Thomastown, Westmeadows are being urged to stay inside, with doors and windows closed and air conditioning turned off.
Maygar Boulevard and Park Street are partially closed due to the blaze.
Melbourne MFB Deputy Chief Officer, David Youssef, said he estimated the fire had burned through around 130,000 tyres already.
The cause of the fire remains unknown.
