General News
15 February, 2025
Organic compost piles combust, fire jumps road before controlled
A FIRE that started in a pile of organic compost at Newbridge has been controlled this evening. More 30 CFA units have been involved fighting the fire that started late this afternoon and jumped Yorkshire Road. Loddon brigades were being supported...
A FIRE that started in a pile of organic compost at Newbridge has been controlled this evening.
More 30 CFA units have been involved fighting the fire that started late this afternoon and jumped Yorkshire Road.
Loddon brigades were being supported by units from Bendigo including Maiden Gully and Eaglehawk.
CFA Loddon South group officer Tim Ferguson said 85 hectares of farmland had been burnt in the fire that was fanned by strong winds.
He said the fire was believed to have been started when piles of organic compost at the Biogro facility self-combusted.
CFA units had the fire under control more than an hour after being called to Yorkshire Road and brigades were mopping up by 7.15pm as Biogro had an excavator separating smouldering piles of organic waste and pouring water onto flames.
Volunteer CFA units were refilling tankers from the Biogro water storage tanks.
A police roadblock had been in place at the intersection of Yorkshire Road and Bridgewater-Maldon Road.
Powecor arrived about 7.30pm to switch off electricity. The burning piles of organic waste were within metres of a power pole.
Smoke continued to drift across the district last night and an official alter says smoke may be visible from nearby communities and roads for the next few days Firefighters will continue to monitor this fire.
South Australia-owned Biogro took over the400-acre organics facility in Newbridge in 2022.
The company says it processes more than 300,000 tonnes of organic material to create products for the horticulture, viticulture, agriculture and landscape market.
:This is done through strict quality control processes that are environmentally sustainable while meeting and exceeding Australian Standards for our manufactured products," according to its website.
Biogro has been contacted for comment.
