A fire broke out at the Haines Hunter Australia manufacturing facility in Derrimut, Victoria, causing damage to part of the site and prompting a large emergency response. The incident has no connection to Haines Hunter's New Zealand operations.
Emergency services received multiple calls reporting a fire inside the building on East Derrimut Crescent and dispatched crews shortly after 10am on Friday. Arriving firefighters encountered thick smoke issuing from the structure, with the blaze concentrated at the western end of the factory.
Structural collapse inside the building forced crews to fight the fire defensively. By early afternoon the fire had been brought under control, with neighbouring businesses evacuated as a precaution. Four people were treated by Ambulance Victoria for smoke inhalation and transported to hospital. No serious injuries were reported.
In a statement released on Sunday, Haines Hunter Australia confirmed all staff were safely evacuated and accounted for at an emergency assembly point. The company advised that the fire affected its moulding section, though the majority of its boat moulds were not damaged. A small number were lost or affected, and plans are in place to rebuild those moulds.
Haines Hunter Australia said work is now focused on restoring the factory and assessing longer-term options. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, with WorkSafe and the Environment Protection Authority notified.
