District firefighters fought a hay bale fire at Murgheboluc 20km west of Geelong yesterday morning.
The blaze involved 500 square hay bales on a private property at the corner of Hamilton Highway and Windermere Road.
The fire had threatened to spread to nearby properties in hot conditions expected to peak at 38 degrees Celsius.
Ten CFA tankers were deployed to prevent the hay fire spotting downwind and firefighters brought the blaze under control by noon.
Emergency services issued a grass fire advice message to residents in Murgheboluc, Gnarwarre and Inverleigh, warning that smoke would be visible from nearby communities and roads.
Residents were urged to keep the roads clear so emergency vehicles in the area could respond. Health advice was also provided and updates will be issued if the situation changes.
CFA District 7 Duty Officer Tony Field said the hay bale fire did not involve a structure and would be allowed to burn out while fire crews monitor the area overnight.
He said the exact cause of the fire was yet to be determined but that this would be investigated in due course.
“At the moment crews are just monitoring the break that’s been built around the fire. There will be smoke in the area for a while,” he said.
Firefighters continued to monitor the fire throughout the afternoon yesterday.
For more information on preparing for grass fires visit: www.cfa.vic.gov.au/plan-prepare/grassfires-rural.
