Hundreds of reptiles, including venomous snakes, rescued from Melbourne fire

Hundreds of reptiles, including the world's most venomous snake, have been rescued after a warehouse fire in Melbourne's east last night.

There were about 540 reptiles inside the Jurassic Jungle factory on Canterbury Road in Kilsyth South when the blaze began just after 8.30pm.

Firefighters arrived to find the factory steel roof involved with fire.

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The fire threatened adjacent factories but was contained within an hour.

Wildlife Victoria and Ambulance Victoria attended the scene due to "various venomous reptiles being housed" inside the building.

CFA Operations Manager Dave Renkin said there were about 540 reptiles inside, including crocodiles and the inland taipan, one of the world's most venomous snakes.

However, about half of those were unable to be saved.

"There was a variety of reptiles, crocodiles, and quite a number of venomous snakes," Renkin said.

"The crocodiles were about three feet long, it's pretty interesting seeing those pulled out in suburban Melbourne.

"It's not something you see every day. I have been doing this for a long, long time.

"This was a first for me."

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Renkin said the owners arrived at the scene quickly, raising concerns that some cages could have been compromised.

"They made us aware of some of the more dangerous, exotic-type reptiles were kept on the premises," he said.

"There were some safety concerns in regards to the cages being potentially compromised, having some fairly dangerous types of snakes.

"There was a concern for firefighters.

"We ensured we had a fair idea of their location and prohibited our firefighters from going into that area."

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Jurassic Jungle said it would remain closed today, but hoped to open tomorrow.

"Unfortunately we have had a fire at our demonstrators facility which requires our full attention over the next day or two," the business said on social media.

"Please be patient with us during this time, thank you for all your ongoing support."

A City of Maroondah Building Surveyor, WorkSafe and Fire Investigation Unit will attend the scene today.