Coolum Beach industrial fire: Massive explosion reported in Sunshine Coast business

Firefighters say the cause of a blaze in the Coolum Beach industrial estate remains a mystery.

Firefighters have not determined the cause of a blaze and explosion that rocked businesses in the Coolum Beach industrial estate.

Fire erupted at a Link Cres scrap metal yard about 11.20am Wednesday, August 3, 2022, after a large explosion was reported to have been felt by residents in homes several kilometres away in Peregian Springs.

Workers had described feeling like their building was about to collapse.

A Queensland Fire and Emergency Services spokeswoman said the cause of the fire was unable to be determined and no suspicious circumstances surrounded the blaze.

Marilia Peres – who works at another Link Cres business several doors down from the incident – said she heard a loud bang which rattled her building just before 11am.

“I felt like the building was going to collapse,” she said.

Workers in other businesses in the estate – some up to about 500m away from the blast – said they felt their buildings shake from the explosion.

Coolum Fire and Rescue station officer Ben Walker said crews were called to a “fire and explosions” at a scrap metal yard in the estate just before midday.

Mr Walker said an excavator operator who had been working on a scrap metal pile had suffered shock after the explosion.

“He did suffer some smoke inhalation,” Mr Walker said.

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The operator was treated by paramedics for smoke inhalation but did not require transport to hospital.

Mr Walker said the cause of the fire was unknown and it could have been sparked by a range of factors with the pile possibly containing items like fridges and gas cylinders.

Nearby worker Kirby Payton said he was at Diggerman Training along Junction Dr in Coolum Beach when he and his colleagues heard what he described as a “bang”.

Mr Payton said they could see flames coming from the blaze before the street was closed by police, ambulance and fire crews.

Peregian Springs residents reported feeling a rumble from the blast and thick smoke could be seen clearly from homes in the estate several kilometres away.

Smoke coming from a fire in Coolum Beach on August 3, 2022, with smoke visible from homes at Peregian Springs, several kilometres away. Picture: Becs Steinhardt