Lucky escape
Just a spark: the illegal use of an angle grinder last Tuesday afternoon sparked a small grass fire at Leongatha North.
By Chris Brown
ONLY a lucky wind change prevented a grassfire, which was sparked by the illegal use of an angle grinder during last week’s heatwave, from raging out of control.
On last Tuesday’s Total Fire Ban Day the small grass fire erupted on a Leongatha North property.
The angle grinder being used in the construction of stockyards, sent sparks into tinder dry grass.
Leongatha Police said they were waiting for more information on the incident from the CFA.
Ruby CFA captain Darren Hardacre, said it was a timely reminder to people to make sure they follow the regulations.
“It’s illegal to use equipment like that outside on a day of total fire ban,” he said.
“I assume they didn’t know it was illegal.
“At the end of the day it is up to the person using the equipment to make sure it is not illegal and not a day of total ban fire.”
Mr Hardacre said at a normal time in a fire danger period you have to be very careful using that sort of equipment, because fires could start on any day.
”The best thing is that people don’t use it; especially on days of high fire risk,” he said. “The best scenario is they have all their equipment there, because if they don’t that’s when things can get really bad.”
People should be prepared with water and a knapsack as well as slash all the grass down in the area they are working in.
To find out whether it is a day of total fire ban people considering using dangerous equipment should visit the CFA webpage at www.cfa.vic.gov.au.
Mr Hardacre was at the Leongatha North grass fire supporting the Leongatha brigade.
He said the fire could have been a lot worse if it had started earlier in the day when it was hotter and windier.
“If it had been on the top side of the hill with the south westerly wind blowing, it would have had a free run and covered a lot larger area,” Mr Hardacre said.
“They were probably pretty lucky and right about that time the wind change came through and the south westerly pushed the fire back on itself, which helped contain it.”
Mr Hardacre said locals and the owners of the property were controlling the fire.
“When the fire trucks arrived they were knocking the whole area down and were blacking it out,” he said.
“When the Leongatha CFA got there, they knocked the rest of the fire down and blacked it out totally.”
Over the years there have been a few fires started by angle grinders and welders, Mr Hardacre said.
At this time of the year CFA brigades are often called to fires that were burning under the ground, but have taken off.
There have been a couple of these fires in the Korumburra area recently.
“It’s a good reminder for people to check old burn piles to make sure they are out properly,” Mr Hardacre said.
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