Fire at Auto Line Panel Works – 39 Connell Rd, Oakleigh 3166
Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) crews responded to a factory fire at 39 Connell Road, Oakleigh 3166 early this morning after multiple calls to Triple Zero. Crews arrived on scene within 7 minutes to find a single storey brick factory approx 10m x 20m in size, fully ablaze. The fire’s flames were very visible through the top of the roof. Crews used an angle grinder to cut through a steel roller door, to aid in access to the factory’s interior.
The premises name was Auto Line Panel Works. The automotive wrecking business had multiple cars on the premises which were fuelling the fire and causing explosions. Firefighters initiated an external attack on the fire with multiple hoselines and with the aid of aerial firefighting appliances. Through their quick work firefighters were able to bring the fire under control at 05:07am, 40 minutes after arriving on scene. No persons were at the premises at the time of the fire.
Upon hearing of the blaze, the Toorak Times immediately deployed our chief crime reporter and lead photographer, Lord Murray Schoorman of Peak Hour Images to attend the scene.
These photographs of the fire ravaged premises show the extent of the blaze only hours earlier.
The brick factory has been destroyed in the fire.
The cause of the fire is yet to be determined but will be investigated.
Firefighters remained on scene into daylight hours fully extinguishing the fire and upon Toorak Times arrival, Victoria Police forensics team were sifting through the rubble conducting investigations.
