FIRE destroyed one home in Springvale’s Elaine Court on Monday night, damaged two others, and sparked an EPA investigation.
Nine CFA crews from Springvale, Dandenong and Keysborough were called to a fire in a home’s backyard about 5.30pm on 14 January.
They found one house well alight and the blaze spreading to the properties on either side.
Firefighters in breathing apparatus attacked flames in two properties and prevented them from spreading to a third.
The thick black smoke and a heavy fuel load on the middle property hampered their efforts.
Crews were blacking out the scene until nearly midnight. Fears were initially held for the home’s occupants, but all residents were accounted for.
The middle home was completely destroyed, a second suffered extensive damage and a third sustained smoke damage.
The CFA called in the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) after the fire released a large amount of chemicals used to produce soap and shampoo, which had been stored in the destroyed property’s backyard.
An EPA spokeswoman said authority staff were called to the incident to sample, investigate and provide advice on the environmental impacts of detergents.
“EPA advised the home owner that such operations required suitable containment and waste management to ensure detergents did not reach the environment through stormwater drains,” she said.
“Detergents can harm aquatic life by depleting oxygen in the water.”
The fire’s cause is under investigation.
