Vic: Houses under timber yard fire ember shower

AAP General News (Australia)
12-30-2003
Vic: Houses under timber yard fire ember shower

MELBOURNE, Dec 30 AAP - Embers showered Melbourne suburban houses as a massive timber
yard fire burnt out of control for more than three hours in the city's outer eastern suburbs
tonight.

At the height of the fire, householders in Kilsyth and surrounding suburbs were told
to take action against the heavy ember shower, pushed by strong winds at temperatures
close to 40 degrees.

The huge fire broke out around 4.15pm (AEDT) in the Orchard St timber yard and was
not brought under control until 7.30pm (AEDT).

"Embers from the fire were blown in two directions as the wind changed during the course
of the fire," a Country Fire Authority spokesman said.

At the same time, a thick pall of black smoke blanketed the area, prompting a warning
for residents to close windows and shut down airconditioners.

"No houses were under direct threat from the fire, it was contained within the property,"

CFA spokesman Peter Philp said.

Despite 15 tankers from the CFA, backed up by the Metropolitan Fire Brigade (MFB),
the fire was not brought under control until 7.30pm (AEDT), and crews would be on duty
throughout the night, he said.

Meanwhile, harvesting equipment was blamed for two separate fires that burnt out a
total of 185 hectares of grass and scrub in other areas of the state.

Sixteen tankers and a water-bombing aircraft were used north of Stawell, in Victoria's
west, to contain an 85-hectare fire which destroyed a shed and fencing.

Fire started by harvesting also burned out 100 hectares of grass and scrub near Daylesford,
north-west of Melbourne, he said.

The fire was reported at 12.30pm (AEDT) in Kooroocheang (Kooroocheang) Road at Smeaton
and 14 trucks from local fire brigades had turned out to fight it, a CFA spokesman said.

"It is probably a good warning to say that, on days like this, while harvesters and
tractors are not banned under a total fire ban, people should restrain from using them
because they can set off fires," he said.

Total fire bans were declared for Victoria's central and north-western districts today
as hot weather spread across the state.

Many Victorian centres reported top temperatures over 40 degrees with strong north-westerly
winds.

AAP ag/sjb/jlw

KEYWORD: FIRES VIC NIGHTLEAD

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