Three houses saved in Redesdale

Up to 140 firefighters were called to the North Redesdale Road fire just before 4pm on Saturday (11 February).

It took a total of 32 CFA and DSE trucks and two water aircraft just under two hours to control the blaze that burned 175 hectares of land. The fire was around 175 metres wide and reached 1.1 kilometres in length.

Three houses were under threat, the fire was as close as 100 metres from two of them and was just metres from the third house.

Redesdale Brigade Captain Glenn Brown said it was a real team effort between CFA and DSE.

“I was very impressed with the way the two agencies worked together, especially under such tough conditions,” Mr Brown said.

“The area was covered in old rock walls which can be very difficult and dangerous for firefighters.

“The dedication of those 140 firefighters was just incredible and they should be acknowledged,” he said.

The fire was caused by a lightning strike hitting a tree on private property from a storm the night before. A DSE tower spotted the fire when it began the next day.

Mr Brown said this is a timely warning for people to check their properties thoroughly after a storm has passed.

“Even if there’s rain, a fire burning inside a tree caused by a lightning strike can flare up and take off quickly.

“Once safe to do so, I can’t encourage people enough to go out and look over their land. If not, the consequences could be deadly,” Mr Brown said.

A haystack was destroyed in the fire but crews were able to save a shed full of machinery.

CFA issued an Advice message at 4.41pm on Saturday 11 February alerting people in Redesdale and Mia Mia to the out of control grassfire and smoke in those nearby communities. People were advised to monitor conditions in that area.

Four trucks stayed overnight putting out hotspots and one crew remained on scene all day Sunday blacking out and extinguishing a couple of stump fires.

CFA brigades that attended the fire were from Golden Square, Junortoun, Redesdale, Langley - Barfold, Sutton Grange and Myrtle, Knowsley, Metcalfe, Mia Mia, Elphinstone, Mandurang, Axe Creek, Axedale, Heathcote, Mosquito Creek, Sedgwick, Tylden, Benloch, Pastoria, Kyneton, Spring Hill, Costerfield and Strathfieldsaye.