Unsafe building materials caused Docklands apartment block fire, experts claim

THE quick-moving Docklands apartment inferno that saw 300 city dwellers evacuated to Etihad Stadium last November has been blamed on unsafe building materials.

Hundreds of people were evacuated after a fire broke out in a Docklands Apartment building on Latrobe street, Docklands. The residents were moved to Southern Cross station. It appears to have started on a balcony. Picture: Nicole Garmston

THE quick-moving Docklands apartment inferno that saw 300 city dwellers evacuated to Etihad Stadium last November has been blamed on unsafe building materials.

The MFB — which is probing the blaze — said it was caused by equipment being inappropriately stored behind an air-conditioning unit on a lower-floor balcony, causing it to overheat and catch fire.

Safety experts have now claimed its rapid spread was caused by cheap building panels.

Deputy chief executive of the Fire Protection Association Matthew Wright said it was likely other CBD towers had been built with similar shortcuts to save costs and were potential fire hazards.

“Unfortunately, it seems the material used on that building didn’t comply with the rules in relation to combustibility for products on external facades and that’s quite concerning, obviously,” he said.

“We have a situation in Australia where we want to have non-combustible facades and yet we have a demonstration down in Docklands in November­ where that clearly wasn’t the case.”

He said the fire should not have spread so fast if the building materials were compliant.

About 300 people were evacuated at 2.30am on November 25 after their building caught on fire at the Lacrosse building.

No one was injured but the MFB estimated it caused about $5 million of damage.

At the time, MFB controller Trevor Woodward said it was unusual for fire to spread up a building at such speed.

MFB spokesman David Jarwood said the investigation was still ongoing.

“Until it is complete, it would not be appropriate for anyone to speculate about the contents of the report,” he said.

“The CSIRO has been engaged to do the testing of the materials used as exterior cladding. Until the results of that are known we can’t determine if there has been noncompliance.”

He said the Fire Protection Association had not been involved in the investigation into this fire or in developing the subsequent report.

The construction company, L U Simon Builders, is yet to return the Herald Sun’scalls.