Fire season: Montrose tip and Knox tip fires cause concern

Fires at two tips in Montrose and Knox have triggered warnings for a worrying summer ahead. But what are dangerous household items that could start these fires?

Firefighters battled an intense blaze at the Knox Transfer Station in 2008.

Fires at two tips in two days in Melbourne’s east — on the eve of the bushfire season — have ignited fears a bad fire season lays ahead.

The fires at Montrose and Knox transfer stations have left people questioning protocol at the tips, but the CFA says it believes management at both tips did what they could.

The blazes broke out during two days of high temperatures and damaging winds last week, the first at Montrose on Wednesday, November 20, and the second at Knox on Thursday, November 21.

Multiple tankers were taken to each fire.

No one was injured and the blazes were reportedly smaller than previous fires, but they used up significant CFA resources.

Scoresby CFA brigade captain Warrick Smith said about 25 firefighters worked on the Knox fire from just after 4.30pm to about 8pm.

He said the fire was in a mound of rubbish, mainly mattresses, but the CFA was unsure of the cause.

“It’s almost like it self-combusted,” Mr Smith said.

KTS Recycling, which manages the tip, did not respond to Leader about the incident, having previously received criticism for repeated fires on its grounds.

People took to Facebook to complain about the fire with one man posting, “What are they doing at this place? It goes up in flames all the bloody time.”

There have been a series of fires at Knox transfer station in recent years.

But Mr Smith said management did well handling the fire.

He said they had taken precautions for the weather and were attacking the fire with their own water tanks before the CFA arrived.

“When it’s a bad day, it’s a bad day,” he said.

“All signs lead to a bad summer.”

“It is worrying, definitely.”

Montrose CFA brigade captain Rob Waters said about 30 firefighters quickly contained the Montrose fire after it started about 2.20pm, working with the tip’s management, Grosvenor Lodge Pty Ltd.

Lithium batteries are not allowed to be disposed of like normal waste at a tip.

Grosvenor Lodge Pty Ltd manager Joel Johnson said the site’s emergency plan was immediately put into place.

He said while the cause of the fire was being investigated, it’s believed to have been started by a combustible item, such as a flare or battery, having been illegally disposed of by a customer in a load of rubbish.

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Mr Johnson said the company was reviewing its protocols and emergency procedure, but wanted to remind companies and residents to be careful about what they threw out, with batteries and certain electronics to go in designated bins or drop-off points.

EPA Victoria spokesman Terry Sefton said the authority had inspected both sites and would continue to investigate the fires.