A LAKE Meran farmer is facing serious charges after the machinery he was operated ignited a fire during extreme weather conditions on Wednesday.
The man was cutting straw with a PTO windrower when the fire started at about 3.45pm on Wednesday – around the time when the temperature was nearing its maximum of 45 degrees.
It spread through the stubble and into an adjacent patch of bushland before brigades were able to bring it under control, with another landowner assisting by discing a fire break around a portion of the blaze.
“Police are investigating the operator of the tractor and he could face serious charges,” Leading Senior Constable Shane Pilgrim said.
Country Fire Authority District 20 Operations Officer, John Cutting said cutting straw on a day of extreme fire danger was “not the wisest thing to do”.
“I don’t believe they had firefighting equipment with them,” he said.
“The brigades did a very good job in bringing the fire under control in very trying conditions.”
Appliances from Boort, Appin South, Barraport-Gredgwin, Quambatook, Sandhill Lake, Yando, Macorna, Beauchamp, Meering West and Kerang attended the fire, while an aircraft was deployed but not required.
Mr Cutting said the fire burnt about 12 hectares and brigades remained on scene blacking out until 6.30pm.
