AN ELECTRICAL fault is likely to have caused a factory fire in Kangaroo Flat on Wednesday night.
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Emergency services attended The Oil Warehouse after a fire started there just before 6.30pm.
It took firefighters about 40 minutes to control the blaze.
Country Fire Authority District 2 operations manager Chris Jacobsen said an exact cause was yet to be confirmed, but it appeared electrical.
He said the fire was not suspicious and was not the fault of business practices.
Mr Jacobsen said one drum of detergent melted and ran into a drain, but Environment Protection Authority and City of Greater Bendigo Council crews worked with the business owner to make sure oil did not leak into Bendigo Creek.
He said smoke from the blaze was not as toxic as originally feared.
Volunteers from Kangaroo Flat, Eaglehawk and Golden Square fire brigades attended.
Bendigo crews also supported and supplied a cherry picker and cutting tools.
Firefighters had to cut through roller doors on the business to fight the fire.
Surrounding business owners had attempted to put out the fire before emergency services arrived at the scene.
They are now helping The Oil Warehouse owner Robin Kirby temporarily relocate the business to a nearby site.
Mr Kirby said only a small amount of stock was damaged in the fire, and some had suffered smoke and water damage.
But he remained positive on Thursday morning.
“It could have been a lot worse if it had been three or four o’clock in the morning and no one was around,” he said.
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