Updated 3.55pm:
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Air support and ten tankers have been required to bring a Burrumbeet fire under control after nearly 1000 haybales erupted into flames.
Emergency services were called to the blaze about 10.30am on Sunday February 11, 2024, and had the fire under control by about 10.53am.
The fire occurred about 30 kilometres west of Ballarat, at a farm on Modesty Lane in Burrumbeet.
A stay informed fire warning was issued for the area, but has now been downgraded as the fire is no longer spreading.
As of 3.50pm, a CFA spokesperson told The Courier there were still brigades at the scene, with another three to fours hours of work required to ensure the fire is fully extinguished.
The fire comes just days after the CFA issued a warning about a surge in haystack fires.
In the statement, the CFA said they had responded to more than 50 haystack fires since November 2023, with the majority occurring in the west of the state.
CFA District 17 commander Lindsay Barry said spontaneous combustion was the leading cause of haystack fires in Victoria.
She said green and damp hay were susceptible to overheating, and many haybales had been stored with too much moisture after a wet start to summer.
"The hay has been pressed for so long, and because of the summer we've had, the majority of fires are where hay has been stored outside and exposed to the elements." Ms Barry said.
"Water and hay don't really mix, especially when they stack together. This creates organic decomposition which produces heat, and you end up with a hay fire due to spontaneous ignition.
"For farmers who own hay, or who manage haystacks, we need them to be more vigilant and ensure they're doing regular temperature checks."
Earlier:
Emergency services are fighting to control a large hay stack fire in Burrumbeet about 30 kilometres west of Ballarat.
According to the Vic Emergency website, there are seven vehicles responding to the fire, which started about 11am.
A stay informed fire warning has been issued for the area.
Numerous hail bales, initially reported as up to 1000, are burning in the fire, which started at a farm on Modesty Lane in Burrumbeet.
Large amounts of smoke could be also be seen at a distance from the fire.
It's the second significant fire for the Ballarat area in as many days, after an Alfredton house was engulfed in flames on February 10.
No people were injured in the fire, but the two storey home was heavily damaged.
Fire Rescue Victoria acting assistant chief fire officer Anthony Pearce told The Courier the house had been more than 50 per cent gutted by the blaze, but there had been no damage to neighbouring properties.
