Rocklea Residents in Asbestos Concern
A local mattress factory which was destroyed by fire last night raises concerns to the residents at Rocklea on Brisbane's southside. They are being impelled to monitor young children and people with respiratory problems.
The cause of the fire which burned the Franklin street factory is being investigated.
The roof of the factory was made from asbestos. A huge plume of thick black smoke blew across Rocklea during the height of fire and the nearby residents are worried due to this. The police were on stand-by to evacuate the area and they and they advised the residents to stay indoors keeping the windows shut.
The blaze was controlled within two hours. Eight crews worked on it and one firefighter was taken to hospital to treat for heat exhaustion.
According to estimates, the damage bill is above $1 million.
Barry Pearce, a fire service personnel said that the residents were no longer in danger.
"The atmosphere is safe, it's well below exposure standards and we're just asking people as a precaution to monitor anyone with respiratory problems," he said.
The factory owner is yet to be contacted. Whether to clean-up the asbestos or not can be decided only after that.
