Reports
Massive smoke cloud hangs over Melbourne as firefighters battle a raging factory fire at Cheltenham
Fire crews are battling an inferno that has engulfed a factory in Melbourne’s south-east, forcing nearby roads to close and schools to keep children indoors.
The blaze was first reported about 8.30am Thursday by a worker who said lithium batteries kept at the site on Chesterfield Rd in Cheltenham had ignited.
The 3,600sq m building was well alight when crews arrived but the blaze has been contained to the factory site.
More to follow.
The thick black cloud of smoke pouring over Melbourne’s skyline on Thursday from a factory fire understood to be sparked by lithium batteries
