Smoke pours from the Heatherdale Road recycling plant in Ringwood.

Smoke pours from the Heatherdale Road recycling plant in Ringwood. Photo: Wayne Hawkins

Residents in Melbourne’s east have been warned to stay indoors as smoke billows from a large fire likely to burn throughout the night at a local recycling centre.

The 20-metre-high blaze is burning on top of a large pile of rubbish, including car bodies and metal scraps, at the CMA Recycling Centre on Palmerston Road West at Ringwood.

Emergency services were called to the scene by concerned motorists who saw smoke while travelling along the EastLink motorway before 7am.

Firefighters contain the scrap metal fire.

Firefighters contain the scrap metal fire. Photo: Wayne Hawkins

A Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Services Board (MFB) spokeswoman said the fire was large, stretching about 40 metres, and was burning out of control for several hours.

Another MFB spokesman Trevor Woodward said there were initially 10 trucks and 50 firefighters battling the blaze.

He said the fire was not being treated as suspicious.

‘‘There’s a huge pile of metal waste which has come from crunched up car parts,’’ said Mr Woodward.

‘‘There’s a deep-seated fire in this pile.’’

Mr Woodward said the main concern was the amount of smoke billowing over the EastLink and surrounding homes, though the smoke was not believed to be toxic.

Residents in the areas of Mitcham, Nunawading, Ringwood East, Ringwood North, Vermont, Vermont South, Wantirna, Ringwood and Heathmont were warned to stay inside, close doors and windows and switch off their heating and cooling systems.

‘‘Certainly, people with respiratory problems would be at risk from the smoke,’’ Mr Woodward said. ‘‘They should take appropriate precautions.

‘‘If you happen to be in the path of the smoke and it’s still smelling pretty rancid, then obviously you’d keep your windows and doors closed.’’

He said there were concerns Eastland Shopping Centre would be in the path of the smoke, but centre management said its stores were not affected.

Mr Woodward said a car had rolled over on the EastLink near the scene of the fire and there were concerns the driver involved had been distracted by the smoke.

‘‘There’s every chance it was either someone slowing down to look at the smoke or the fire or maybe because the smoke (distracted the driver),’’ he said.

Ambulance Victoria spokesman Ray Rowe said a man in his mid 70s was taken to Maroondah Hospital suffering from shock.

He said paramedics had crews on standby at the fire as a precaution.

After four-and-a-half hours, the fire was controlled by the Metropolitan Fire Brigade and Country Fire Authority, both of which sent fire units to the blaze. In total, 26 fire trucks and vehicles have attended the blaze.

Ringwood businesses Genesis Fitness and Audio Trends said they had suffered no problems from drifting smoke despite the nearby blaze and it was business as usual.

The damage bill is zero as the metal is fine recycling.