Local brigade urges caution following sudden fire

A CFA brigade in the Surf Coast has urged the community to be vigilant this summer, following a sudden grassfire in Winchelsea.

CFA crews responded on Wednesday last week to the fire, believed to be ignited by a lightning strike and located at a property on the corner of Armytage Road and Kellys Lane.

Units from Winchelsea, Wingeel and Birregurra responded to the blaze with the support of four private firefighting units from the Winchelsea area.

Winchelsea Fire Brigade captain Kaylene Stocks said the grassfire was an important reminder grassfires can start at any time and residents should never be complacent.

“Grassfires can start and spread quickly and are extremely dangerous.

“Even with the current rain fall, this shows that the grass is still dry enough to burn.”

Captain Stocks said last week’s fire presented challenges but were overcome through team work.

“Firefighting in the dark can be difficult with the addition of long grass and rocky terrain.

“We had the support of the private firefighting units which meant we could round up the fire quickly and had it extinguished within around half an hour.”

The CFA stated the property sustained no major damage.