Melbourne landfill fire under control

Firefighters worked all night to control a ferocious blaze burning at a discarded rubber and plastics landfill in Melbourne's west.

The fire, which began at 7.30pm in Brooklyn on Tuesday and spewed acrid black smoke over surrounding suburbs, initially required more than 50 MFB firefighters to fight it, spokeswoman Meg Rayner told AAP.

It was eventually brought under control at 10.30pm with the help of heavy machinery, which pulled the landfill apart and helped crews target the blaze.

Ms Rayner said firefighters have covered the rubbish piles with soil, which has helped to take the heat off.

"It's still smouldering slightly because of the nature of what was on fire, and a couple of crews are still on scene monitoring the fire," she said on Wednesday morning.

"But it looks like the weather is in our favour today, and the fire should be fully extinguished this morning."

The MFB put out a community warning on Tuesday night for residents in Brooklyn, Braybrook, Sunshine, Sunshine West, Tottenham and West Footscray to be aware of the smoke.

The cause of the fire is not yet known.