By Ruza Zivkusic
HUNDREDS of burning tyres in Ravenhall last Tuesday cast a pall of heavy, black smoke over nearby Deer Park.
Country Fire Authority’s (CFA) regional duty officer Tony O’Day said more than 40 firefighters took almost 24 hours to control the blazing one-metre-high pile of tyres in Rebecca Drive, Ravenhall, an industrial area.
He described the work as “labour intensive” as the hot weather conditions made it difficult for the crew to separate the unburnt tyres from the burning pile.
“We were very conscious of conserving water,” Mr O’Day said.
“It burned for so long because we tried to let it burn out as much as we possibly could. We weren’t just pouring unnecessary water on it.”
The crew was able to put out the blazes the next day with help from Metropolitan Fire Brigade officers.
Mr O’Day said the cause of the incident was still being investigated.
The black smoke contained carbon molecules.
An EPA investigation found that although it was an irritant, it was not toxic.
“Our dispatch centre met many inquiries from concerned residents,” Mr O’Day said.
“There was smoke in the air from (country) bushfires and the added smoke from this fire certainly raised some alarm for many of the residents.”
