With the fire danger period expected to begin towards the end of November or early December in this region this year, the Country Fire Authority's Assistant Chief Fire Officer for District 15, Brett Boatman, said the next six weeks were the ideal time to clean up your property.

Preparing your property before the fire danger period includes cleaning out gutters, tidying up gardens, and removing flammable waste.

While this can be done by burning off, there are also alternative methods including mulching, chipping or taking green waste to a transfer station.

He said if people do choose to burn-off, and there have been a record number of registrations across the state this year, they should burn a few small fires rather than one big one.

When conducting a burn-off it is important to register it, to monitor the weather conditions, especially wind, and to follow council regulations. Burn-offs should never be left unattended and a hose should be at hand in case conditions change.

From September through to November last year, firefighters in District 15 responded to about 200 vegetation fires, with about 30 per cent of those fires requiring a response due to being left unattended or because they had reignited from a previous burn-off.

Neighbours should also be notified so they don't become alarmed if they see smoke and unnecessarily call for a fire response.

While rains have led to a reduced likelihood of prolonged fire activity through spring, shorter duration fires are still likely.

The bushfire near Buninyong, which started about 9.00pm on Monday, was monitored throughout the night due to high winds.

The fire burnt through about 10 hectares of grass and scrub along the Yarrowee River (which becomes Leigh River further downstream) at Hardies Hill.

DELWP's Deputy Chief Fire Officer Tony English said the fire was believed to be an escaped burn-off from private property.

Related coverage: Rain brings bushfire south of Buninyong under control

A wind charge late Tuesday morning brought rainfall to the fire ground, helping to extinguish the blaze. Firefighters continued to work on the fire throughout the day, blacking out and patrolling the fire ground.

While no properties were damaged, about 500 metres of fencing was.

It followed a fire which broke out near Mt Clear on Sunday afternoon. It started just after 3pm, with crews from the CFA, Fire Rescue Victoria and FFMV attending.

A First Attack Dozer was deployed to the fire to construct a fire break, to ensure the fire was under control ahead of forecast strong winds.

The fire was brought under control at 7.30pm. Approximately 0.3 of a hectare of public land was burnt.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Landowners can register their burn-off with ESTA by calling 1800 668 511 or emailing burnoffs@esta.vic.gov.au

For more information, visit www.cfa.vic.gov.au/plan-prepare/how-to-prepare-your-property

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