Environment Protection Authority Victoria (EPA) is attending a factory fire at 27 Barry Street, Campbellfield to provide advice about firewater runoff impacts and to monitor local air quality conditions.
This advice is being provided to the incident controller, which is the Metropolitan Fire Brigade (MFB) who declared the fire was under control at 7pm on Tuesday 25 September.
Two EPA air monitors were deployed to monitor air quality, one to the north industrial area of the fire site and the other to the south residential area.
On the evening of Wednesday 26th October, both monitors returned data showing air quality in the area was poor. On investigation, EPA discovered that ongoing fire scene management by MFB was causing bursts of smoke which was affecting nearby air quality. The still conditions meant the smoke was not being dispersed.
Air quality readings from all of EPA’s fixed air monitoring stations across Melbourne and the Latrobe Valley however, were showing good to very good air quality conditions on the morning of the 26th.
Firewater used by MFB to extinguish the fire is getting into Merri Creek and arrangements have been made to pump it into Yarra Valley Water sewer system to prevent as much contamination of the local waterway as possible. As a precaution EPA recommends avoiding contact with the water and keeping pets away from Merri Creek between Barry Road downstream to the Metropolitan Ring Road, Campbellfield.
EPA will work with other government agencies today to develop a recovery plan for the area.
The latest information about the incident can be found at: http://emergency.vic.gov.au/respond/#!/warning/4976/moreinfo
To view the latest air quality conditions across EPA’s air monitoring network, visit: https://www.epa.vic.gov.au/our-work/monitoring-the-environment/epa-airwatch
Those concerned about smoke should visit: https://www.epa.vic.gov.au/your-environment/air/smoke