Fire crews – including one waterbombing helicopter and the Firebird fixed wing plane – ‘hit it hard, hit it fast’ yesterday in response to a 45-hectare stubble fire in Avenmore (near Elmore) which also set a large hay stack alight.
With the fire area contained, the hay stack was allowed to burn itself out overnight before crews returned this morning to pull apart the bales and work further to put out the fire, which was declared safe.
Goornong member Felicity Nicholls captured footage this morning (Sunday 21 December) of a ‘whirlwind’ column of smoke created by winds and the heat generated from the fire. By midday, the video had generated more than 35,000 views on CFA's facebook page.
The large haystack ‘measured 100 metres in from the edge’ according to personnel on scene.
The fire started just before 3pm on Saturday afternoon in wheat stubble, and 22 crews worked hard to bring it under control in just ten minutes. Their main focus was to prevent the fire getting into the Bendigo creek area, which was done successfully.
An excavator was sourced from the local Shire and the property owner was able to assist with putting a bare earth break around the fire perimeter.
Author: CFA Media