A man has been hospitalised following a fire at a mechanical repairs shop in Melbourne’s west overnight.
A raging inferno broke out at the factory in Sunshine about 8pm last night, while the owner and three workers were inside.
There were intense flames and thick plumes of black smoke, which could be seen from kilometres away, as more than 60 firefighters battled the blaze.
“Fire crews said the fire was pretty intense,” Fire and Rescue Victoria Commissioner Rob Henderson said.
“It’s a mechanical workshop so there’s a lot of fuel inside which fuelled the fire.”
The staff members managed to self-evacuate before the flames took hold but the owner was taken to hospital for treatment after suffering burns to his face and hands.
He returned later to find the building destroyed.
Council building surveyors deemed the property structurally unsafe and demolished it along with two neighbouring businesses also damaged by the fire.
Fire investigators are still determining the exact caused the blaze, but it’s understood to have been sparked by a piece of machinery.
Customers and locals say they intend to rally behind the business and hope the owner can rebuild.
