General News
30 April, 2023
Prevent callouts, firies call to farmers
FIRE brigade leaders have called on farmers to register their paddock burns after being called to a reported fire on Saturday. Inglewood captain Andrew Smith said an alarm had been raised by a motorist travelling the Calder Highway. However, the...
FIRE brigade leaders have called on farmers to register their paddock burns after being called to a reported fire on Saturday.
Inglewood captain Andrew Smith said an alarm had been raised by a motorist travelling the Calder Highway.
However, the sighting of smoke was from a stubble burn at Derby.
“Just notify the hotline - Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority - and when a report comes in, everyone knows that this is a proper burn-off,” he said.
Mr Smith’s plea was echoed by Terrick CFA Group captain Richard Hicks who said brigades were being called to unregistered burns since the end of fire restrictions.
“There’s a concern that some people are not obeying the conditions of burning off and our brigades are being called out,” he said.
Mr Hicks and Mr Smith said the 2022-2023 fire season had been generally quiet for Loddon brigades.
“We probably spent more time on the floods and flood recovery than attending fires during the season,” said Mr Hicks.
“But we need to remain alert now and right into next season with the growth that’s now around.”
Mr Smith described last season as the quietest he had experienced as a volunteer fireman.
“The extended wet played a role early. The two biggest callouts we have had were for a farmer burn and another started by machinery.”
Unregistered burns had also been the biggest case for callouts by the Boort brigade.
Captain Kel Mayberry said: “Considering the spring growth and the late harvest, our brigade has been really quiet.
“The biggest fires we have had for the season were a stubble fire at Yando and some lightning strikes around Wychitella,” he said.
Boort members quickly responded to a car fire in Wait Street on Friday afternoon. The sedan was fully engulfed in flames about 2pm.
Two units attended and volunteers used breathing apparatus to quickly extinguish the Holden Commodore.
The fire only spread metres from the car that was parked near paddocks at the end of the street.