An explosion at a petrol station in Heathcote has blown through the roof of a car wash store room.
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The Country Fire Authority is investigating the explosion at the BP Truck Stop in Heathcote.
It was called in to emergency services just after 9am on Thursday with reports saying the explosion could be heard up to three kilometres away.
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"We got a callout for an explosion in the roof at the BP service station and we came down assuming that there was a chemical build-up of some sort but we are unsure what as yet," Heathcote firefighter Michael Lumsden said.
"There was a gentleman washing his car at the time when it went up so we are thinking the hot water has (contributed to) the build-up of gas of some sort and it just went bang.
"The gentleman was uninjured. The incident happened an hour and half ago.
"No part of the BP building is damaged and there is just damage to the car wash."
A CFA spokesman said crews from Costerfield, Mount Camel and Heathcote were called to the scene at 9.16am. The scene was declared safe at 9.41am.
BP Truck Stop staff member Temeira Meerman said the explosion shook the store and split part of the store room's concrete wall.
"It shook and sounded like an explosion," she said. "I was making a cappuccino and it made it spill.
"We went looking outside because we couldn't see it. We went around the corner and parts of the roof were off and smoke had started coming out the top.
"The CFA got it out pretty quickly. They think it was the build-up of gas mixed with the chemicals."
The BP is still operating as a store but is unable to sell any fuel until the scene is cleared and declared safe.
"We can't use fuel for a couple of hours but the store is still operating," Ms Meerman said.
She said it was the the third fire in the past six months at the car wash.
The car wash is closed until further notice.
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