- Published:
- Thursday 10 April 2025 at 5:30 am
UPDATED - 12.30PM
Fire Rescue Victoria’s Fire Investigation Unit has deemed the cause of the fire to be suspicious and have handed the scene to Victoria Police for further investigation.
UPDATED 7.15AM
Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) responded to a structure fire at 4.21am on Barkers Road, Hawthorn after callers to Triple Zero (000) reported a unit fire.
Firefighters arrived on scene within seven minutes to find a 30m by 10m building with a steel roof, containing four adjoining units, fully involved.
The response was escalated to a third alarm due to crews having difficulty gaining access to commence operations.
Crews wore breathing apparatus to battle the blaze, which was deemed Under Control at 5.11am.
Firefighters conducted an internal search of the premises and found no signs they were occupied at the time of the blaze, aligning with early information from Victoria Police.
At the peak of the response, 60 firefighters and 19 appliances were on scene, including two aerial fire trucks.
A Community Advice warning was issued for smoke in the area.
Barker Road was expected to reopen about 7am.
The cause of the fire is unknown at this stage.
Victoria Police and Ambulance Victoria were on scene assisting FRV operations.
Updated