UPDATE
Overheated battery operated torches have been blamed for a fire that gutted a Sunshine North party centre.
Fire investigators discovered lithium battery operated torches that had been left charging overnight had sparked the fire at the Fun City go-karting complex on Ballarat Road about 7.30pm last Tuesday night.
Metropolitan Fire Brigade (MFB) station officer Matt Green said the hand-held personal torches had been left on a filing cabinet in an office.
“They used lithium batteries and they shouldn’t have been on constant charge,” he said.
Fun City owner Darren Shaw said he was disappointed rumours have spread that the fire was deliberately lit in the hope it would lead to an insurance claim.
EARLIER
Assistant chief fire officer Mick Swift described the blaze as a “fourth alarm” fire that required 80 firefighters to bring under control. “It was a large and intense fire,” he said. “When the crews arrived there was a large amount of flame coming through the roof.”
He said firefighters made an early call to bring in three cherry pickers to tackle the blaze from above, with assistance from hoses coming from the sides.
MFB crews remained on site through the night and were joined this morning by forensic chemists from Victoria Police to determine the cause of the blaze.
MFB officer in command Guy McCrorie said a plan was likely to be drawn-up to demolish the building.
The warehouse was run as a party and entertainment venue until it was shut down less than a month ago.
Business owner Darren Shaw said a “long-running dispute” with the landlord, coupled with surging energy prices, forced him to close-up and begin looking for an alternate venue in April.
He said he was in “disbelief” when he was informed last night that his business was ablaze. “I raced out to the car, jumped on the highway, I even ran out of fuel on the way here,” he told Star Weekly.
Mr Shaw, who lives in Shepparton, said fortunately all his expensive simulator rides had been taken out of the building about two weeks ago.
“They’re all in Shepparton now. We’re extremely lucky. But the laser tag area, the haunted house, the go-kart arena, the kitchens and toilets… all lost.”
He estimated their replacement value would exceed $1 million dollars.
The land is owned by Australian property investment firm Sentinel Property Group. A company spokeswoman said it had been in constant communication with the MFB, Victoria Police and Brimbank council since the fire started. She said Mr Shaw’s comments regarding a “dispute” between the two were unfounded and incorrect.
While firefighters worked to contain the blaze last night, residents within 800 metres of the building were urged to take shelter indoors “immediately”.
Emergency services issued warnings for Albion, Sunshine and Sunshine North residents to close all windows, doors and to turn off heating and cooling systems.
St Albans and McIntyre roads were closed for most of the night.
