| Status | In recovery |
|---|---|
| Incident date | 10 July 2024 |
| Locations affected | Albion, Braybrook, Brooklyn, Derrimut, Laverton North, Sunshine, Sunshine West, Tottenham, Truganina |
Incident summary
On 10 July 2024, there was a large-scale fire at a chemical blending facility factory at 118 Swann Drive, Derrimut. It burned for about 6 hours before being controlled by firefighters.
ACB Group Pty Ltd stored solvents at the site. Volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions were produced during the fire and contaminated firewater flowed from the site.
Air and water quality testing found little or no risk of harm to nearby residents. Any localised impacts to the environment were short-term.
Fire Rescue Victoria controlled the site and monitored conditions. SV Partners, the liquidator, and the insurer are managing ongoing demolition and clean up. (noting ACB group went into Liquidation and the liquidator and landowner are managing ongoing demolition and clean up).
Our role
As Victoria’s independent environment regulator, our role is to monitor and enforce compliance with the Environment Protection Act 2017.
We're responsible for making sure businesses prevent or control pollution and improve the quality of the environment. This includes regulating activities that may cause harm to human health or the environment.
Learn about our role in:
We work with government and other regulartory authorities to respond incidents. Learn more about our role in incidents(opens in a new window).
Health information
Air and water quality testing results found little or no risk of harm to nearby residents.
Air quality during the fire posed a low risk to human health. Ground level air quality was not affected by the smoke. Air monitoring units across Melbourne showed good air quality(opens in a new window) on 10 and 11 July. The high temperature of the fire pushed the smoke plume to a high altitude and wind conditions dispersed and diluted the smoke.
Water quality testing showed there was a low risk to human health through accidental ingestion, inhalation or skin contact.
Aquatic ecosystems in Laverton Creek were exposed to high levels of chemicals for less than 8 days. Dissolved oxygen levels were low for the first few days after the fire. While both of these can harm aquatic life, they quickly resolved. There were no reports or evidence of fish or wildlife deaths.
Learn more in our science report:
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Our response
Careful firewater management, sandbagging and pumping out of contaminated water minimised impacts on waterways. Conditions were better than expected.
Our testing confirmed that water quality in Cherry Creek, Andersons Swamp and the Bay was not affected by the fire.
Kayes Drain and Laverton Creek were most affected on the days immediately after the fire. Testing on 11 July detected chemicals, including acetone, ethanol and toluene.
We continue to work with co-regulatory partners to manage the clean up of the site and the waste beyond the boundary of the premises.
2024
November 2024
On 19 November, we issue a EAN-00007823 to lawfully remove fire waste from the stormwater system with a final compliance date of 26 February 2025.
October 2024
On 14 October, we hold an information session at Sassella Park Hall in Deer Park for community members wanting to gain a greater understanding of the event and how environmental issues were managed.
We are joined by officers from Brimbank City Council, Melbourne Water and Fire Rescue Victoria.
September 2024
We release a science report that provides an overview of the air and water quality monitoring during and after the fire. It assesses any human health risks associated with air and water quality, as well as risks to the aquatic environment.
July 2024
From 10 to 19 July 2024, we assess the impacts on air quality using multiple methods:
- fixed Ambient Air Quality Stations (AAQS)
- mobile SmokeTrak devices
- handheld MiniRae gas and VOC detectors
- air canisters to collect samples over a 24-hour period
- radiello tubes to collect VOC samples over a longer period.
We work with Melbourne Water to monitor waterways affected by firewater to assess risks to the aquatic environment and human health.
On 12 and 13 July, we test for chemical contaminants and E. coli in:
- Kayes Drain
- Laverton Creek
- Cherry Creek
- Cherry Lake.
We deploy 2 multiparameter water quality loggers:
- at Laverton Creek at Dohertys Road upstream of the Kayes Drain intersection
- downstream at Merton Street.
A week after the fire, we re-sample affected waterways to assess:
- the level of recovery
- the level of ongoing risks to the environment and community.
Tests from 18 July show all contaminants below any levels of concern. No chemicals at all detected in Laverton Creek near the outlet to Port Phillip Bay.
Stay informed
We update the information on our website, including dates of any upcoming community information sessions.
To get an SMS when water quality is Poor at a beach near you, subscribe to beach forecasts(opens in a new window).
Updated