A small fire near Kerang’s Mill Pond Bridge was quickly brought under control on Monday afternoon.
“It’s under investigation. It’s now a police matter,” Kerang Fire Brigade captain Ramon Steel said as firefighters continued to hose a smouldering area of ground.
Police were already on scene as the remains of the fire were extinguished.
The fire occurred shortly before 2pm.
“A passerby reported seeing a small scrub fire on the back swamp adjacent to the Loddon River at Kerang,” acting senior sergeant Roberta Barry of Kerang Police said.
She indicated that approximately 10 square metres of bushland was burnt before the fire was controlled by the CFA.
“A search of the area was unable to determine the cause of the fire,” she explained.
However, she said the placement of the fire suggested it may have been deliberately lit.
“Given the fires in the East of the State, we’d like people to report any suspicious behaviour,” acting senior sergeant Barry said.
Forest Fire Management took control of the scene of the Kerang incident.
Other unexplained fires have occurred recently in the Kerang area.
On the evening of January 8, approximately an acre of grassland burnt on the corner of Hebb Road and the Kerang-Macorna Road, Kerang East, with police deeming the fire suspicious.
A previous fire, which burnt approximately two acres of grassland on the corner of Kelly Road and Tragowel North Road, Tragowel, on December 30 was also considered suspicious.
District 20 operations manager Peter Taylor has previously cautioned against making assumptions concerning unexplained fires.
He said fires can be started by a range of causes.
