Residents flee toxic Ipswich blaze
David Earley
January 21, 2008 11:00pm
HAZARDOUS fumes from a factory fire in Ipswich forced authorities to evacuate the residents from nine surrounding streets yesterday.Police established a 300m exclusion zone around the ruins of the window blinds factory in Saunders St, Flinders View.
All factory staff were safely evacuated before the building became fully engulfed about 11.30am yesterday, a Fire and Rescue Service spokeswoman said.
The exclusion zone was established during the afternoon, when air inside the zone was considered too hazardous to breathe.
A help centre was set up at Raceview State School, with police and the Salvation Army helping residents within the area to find temporary accommodation.
By last night, about 50 residents were still sheltering in the school's library when about 7pm police declared the air in the area to be safe, allowing them to return home.
Peter and Cassandra Gray were watching the fire from the home they share with their five children about 200m away when flames and smoke started billowing out of two tall vents.
"It started trickling out real slow, then I saw a flame and a lot of heavy smoke come out," Mr Gray said.
"It spread from the back to the front in about 10 minutes, and by the time the fire brigade got here you could see flames coming over the fence of the house that's alongside it as well.
"We were sitting on the back verandah watching it when it started, and then got told we had to leave – but we basically had a front row seat."
Paul Coelho and Hayley Glendinning were visiting the Grays at the time, and had to wait at the school with their three children until the streets were reopened.
The Fire and Rescue Service spokeswoman said 12 crews – about 50 firefighters – battled the blaze for hours but the 800sq m factory was almost completely destroyed by mid-afternoon.
Source: Courier Mail
