Road closures after fire near Nylex clock

THIS inferno in two buildings that threatened the famous Nylex clock site in inner Melbourne could cause road problems for several days.

Firefighters were called to the suspicious blaze in Cremorne just after midnight and crews arrived in less than six minutes to find the fire quickly spreading through the two disused buildings.

About 60 firefighters, 10 pumpers and three aerial units were called to the fire.

“Crews conducted an external attack on the fire and used aerial appliances to reduce the blaze. The fire was declared under control at 2.05am,” the MFB said in a statement.

Victoria Police said the cause of the fire was unknown and it was being investigated as suspicious.

“While the fire has now been brought under control, road closures are expected to remain in place for the coming days at the Punt Rd on-ramp to CityLink while works are undertaken to repair the structure,” police spokeswoman Natalie Butler said.

Owner and developer of the site Caydon says it has installed security measures to prevent trespassing.

“The scale, configuration and heritage restrictions of this unique site presents numerous challenges, and it is impossible to completely prevent unwanted access from those determined to access the site,” they said.