Homes evacuated as chemical fire engulfs warehouse in western Australia

SYDNEY, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- A huge fire has torn through a retail warehouse in the western Australian city of Perth on Monday evening, with a chemical warning sparking a mass evacuation of houses in the area.

More than 100 firefighters fought the 80 metre high blaze at the Bunnings Warehouse Hardware facility in Inglewood as blinding orange fireballs lit up the night sky.

"Some of the initial dangers were around some of the products stored inside," a Bunnings spokesperson told local media.

There were reports of chlorine being involved, also some LPG gas cylinders, barbecue cylinders, and as you can imagine all the products stored in a Bunnings Warehouse - chemicals, paint thinners, plastics, fertilisers - were all in play, he said.

The initial smoke plume was deemed to be toxic and there were some concerns that led to community warning through a number of suburbs and some local evacuations, he added.

So far it is not known what caused the blaze, however investigators have said the fire began in a section of the building where pool chemicals were stored.

On first inspection, fire crews estimate the inferno caused at least four million U.S. dollars' damage to the property, however that figure could very well rise as the clean up continues, according to Department of Fire and Emergency Services spokesman Clint Kuchel.

The roof has collapsed and there is still some concern about some structural integrity as some of the walls have been compromised, Kuchel said. Enditem