Firefighters have managed to stop a large blaze in Perth's entertainment precinct of Northbridge from spreading to neighbouring properties.
The blaze was reported at 12:20pm and nearly 50 firefighters were dispatched to the scene on Wellman Street, near the intersection of Forbes Road.
The inferno is believed to have started in the warehouse kitchen of food wholesaler Kakulas Brothers, which was completely engulfed by flames.
Department of Fire and Emergency Services regional superintendent Andy Hinton said crews had managed to stop the blaze from spreading to other properties.
"On arrival that fire had pretty much spread throughout the building and prevented any entry," he said.
"Firefighting operations then had to be handled externally, which meant we were relying a lot on the aerial appliance from above because the roof had collapsed," he said.
He said firefighters were still working to suppress the fire and gain entry to the building.
"We are still trying to ensure ourselves that we can make safe entry because the only way we will put this fire out properly is by putting people inside the structure," he said.
He said all occupants of the warehouse were accounted for and there had been no harm to any of the firefighters.
Neighbouring properties evacuated
People from adjoining properties were evacuated and paramedics were also on the scene as thick plumes of smoke billowed from the roof of the warehouse.
Yuxuan Cheng was forced to evacuate from her nearby restaurant.
"The police knocked [on] the door of each restaurant and all of us just arrived here," she said.
She said it started from the back and there was just a little bit of smoke to start with but then the fire took hold.
"The fire just goes up, and luckily ... it's not windy so it's just that area affected," Ms Cheng said.
A truck with a ladder and platform was also deployed.
'She was pretty fierce'
Nearby resident Ron speculated oil may have been fuelling the fire, with the way the flames were "leaping up".
"She was pretty fierce, [the] flames were ... 20 metres high, pretty big," he said.
"The smoke was black, really black."
Authorities are urging people to close their doors and windows as potentially dangerous smoke is being blown in a north-easterly direction.
Air conditioners should also be switched off.
William Street has been closed between Newcastle Street and Robinson Avenue.
Wellman Street and Robinson Ave were also closed.
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