Hundreds evacuated after ‘suspicious’ fire

Over 150 residents have been evacuated from their homes as a fire ripped through a factory in West Melbourne.

Emergency services were called to a warehouse on Spencer Street in the Melbourne CBD about 2am after reports of a fire. It took 60 firefighters about Two-and-a-half hours to control the blaze in the factory, which appears to be abandoned, with thick smoke spewing into the air above.

Residents in the nearby apartment complex were evacuated as a precaution as smoke continued to billow from the next-door factory.

“Officers evacuated a nearby apartment block as a precaution however residents were able to return home about 4.20am,” a spokesman for Victoria Police said.

“There were no reported injuries.”

Spencer Street was blocked off to traffic in both directions, east of Dudley Street.

While eastbound traffic is expected to reopen, Fire Rescue Victoria confirmed the westbound traffic would remain blocked “for the next few hours”.

Authorities have established a crime scene and a fire investigator is expected to attend the scene on Saturday.

Fire Rescue Victoria has since deemed the fire suspicious.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.