Fire destroys former Mitcham Chinese restaurant Emperor Court

A busy Mitcham road remains closed as firefighters battle a blaze at a former Chinese restaurant.

More than 26 firefighters responded when a fire took hold of a Mitcham restaurant at about 12pm.

A busy Mitcham road remains closed as firefighters battle a blaze at a former Chinese restaurant.

More than 25 MFB and CFA firefighters were called to Mitcham Rd at noon to find the former Emperor Court on fire.

Mitcham Rd is blocked from Whitehorse Rd and Burnett St in both directions and is expected to re-open this afternoon.

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Authorities are asking motorists to avoid the area.

The former restaurant is set to be demolished for a 17-residence apartment development called The Avenue.

Witness Kristen Assaad, who works near the former restaurant, said she saw thick smoke quickly rising from the roof of the building.

Ms Assaad said the firefighters were on scene within seconds.

“The roof was completely on fire, the smoke was really dark and it went on for a while,” she said.

Firefighters extinguish a blaze at the former Emperors Court Chinese restaurant in Mitcham.

Whitehorse police Inspector Jim Cooke said the cause of the fire was not yet known but police investigators were at the scene.

He said there was significant and extensive damage done to the building.

MFB commander Bruce Pickehall said there had been numerous fires and squatters at the site in the past year.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers.

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