Vic: Bushfire destroys house, grassland in Victoria s west

AAP General News (Australia)
02-10-2000
Vic: Bushfire destroys house, grassland in Victoria s west

MELBOURNE, Feb 10 AAP - A bushfire destroyed a house and burnt out 115 hectares of
grass and stubble in Victoria's west today, the Country Fire Authority (CFA) said.

The fire whuich began about 10.30am today on the Kiata East Road, about 15km east of
Nhill, was contained by 50 firefighters and 10 trucks about an hour later, CFA spokesman
Peter Philp (Philp) said.

No one was injured despite a house and a number of outhouses being engulfed by the
fire, which appeared to have been started by a tractor towing a truck, Mr Philp said.

Firefighters also were monitoring the remains of a fire which burnt out 200 hectares
of bushland in central Victoria earlier this week, he added.

Mr Philp said the wind and hot weather today could cause hot embers to flare up about
10km north-east of Yea.

Two bulldozers and a grader yesterday built a control line in a bid to fully extinguish
the blaze, which was believed to have been sparked by a lightning strike about 5pm (AEDT)
on Tuesday.

A total fire ban applied across Victoria today which forbids the lighting of any fires
in the open.

The fire ban comes as temperatures soar to 40 degrees, with fresh to strong northerly winds.

The CFA has advised those living in areas at risk of bushfire to activate their bushfire plans.

AAP st/er/ej/bwl

KEYWORD: BUSHFIRES VIC

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