Police and fire investigators have spent the day at the site of a suspicious factory blaze in Brisbane’s north.

The emergency destroyed a car parts plant and sparked health concerns, because of toxic smoke.

Emma Crichton reports.

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Police declared the site of the Virginia factory fire a crime scene.

It was one of Brisbane’s biggest factory fires which took crews hours to bring under control.

Jason Anderson, Queensland Fire and Emergency Services Caboolture Station Officer: “The responding crews obviously yesterday afternoon when they arrived yesterday afternoon the building was fully engulfed, their efforts were concentrated on the surrounding exposures and as you can see they’ve done a fantastic job to save those exposures.”

Despite their efforts, they couldn’t save the plastic car parts plant.

While the fire was extinguished last night, local surrounding businesses are feeling the after effects of the blaze.

Businesses in the area were forced to evacuate because of toxic smoke.

Bathmat Warehouse is directly across from the factory.

Owner, Bathmat Warehouse: “Around 3:25 I smelt something like burning types, and I go outside then I see here is smoke just outside my business.”

She spent the day cleaning up.

We came in the morning and everywhere in the business was the black ashes.

John Gairns also owns a business across from the scene of the emergency.

He was at home when alerted.

John Gairns, Owner, Medical Supplies: “I received a phone call and walking out the front of our house could see these huge columns of black smoke which we immediately thought was our business.”

While investigations continue, so too does the massive clean-up.

Emma Crichton, QUT News.