MORE than 100 firefighters fought for nearly four hours to fully control a fast-moving fire in grass, scrub and trees near Quambatook on Friday night.
A couple’s farm house was threatened at the height of the fire adjacent to the Kerang-Quambatook Road near the intersection with Normanville Road, about nine kilometres north-east of Quambatook.
It was the second major fire in the area within about six hours after a blaze destroyed about 100 hectares at Cannie.
Twenty tanker crews and further operational support personnel were sent to the fire after the alarm was raised at 8.39pm.
The first crews on scene concentrated on saving a house that was in direct threat of flames being fanned in a north-easterly direction by a blustery south-west wind, which later switched to a westerly direction.
“The quick actions of one crew from Quambatook and Sandhill Lake, as well as two tankers from Kerang, helped save the house, adjoining shed and stacks of hay,” Kerang Fire Brigade captain, Ramon Steel said.
“These firefighters put in place all of their training, and if they had not saved the house, the fire would have been much larger.”
The fire burnt Mallee trees along a four-kilometre section of the northern side of the Kerang-Quambatook Road and into paddocks.
Thick smoke blanketed the area, moving embers ahead of the fire front, and the Country Fire Authority issued an advice warning for a large area including Bael Bael, Budgerum East, Pine View, Quambatook, Sandhill Lake and Wandella.
Shire of Gannawarra water tankers were sent to the scene to replenish tankers and a section of the Kerang-Quambatook Road was closed to traffic for about four hours.
