Grass fire burns through Spring Creek Reserve, Torquay
Three teens have been arrested following a blaze that burned through a populated Surf Coast suburb on Sunday, and left one firefighter hospitalised. WATCH THE VIDEO.
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Three teenagers have been arrested following a grass fire in a busy Torquay reserve that left a firefighter in hospital.
Video footage captured the moment a grass fire tore through Spring Creek reserve, near Spring Valley Dr, on Sunday evening just after 6.30pm, as concerned residents watched on.
A Victoria Police spokesman said officers arrested an 18-year-old Torquay man and two boys following the grass fire.
“The fire caused a small amount of damage to an area of parkland on Spring Valley Drive about 7.15pm,” the spokesman said.
“A firefighter was transported to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.”
The spokesman said the three teens were released on summons.
Spring Creek resident Andrew ‘Jock’ Evans, whose house overlooks Spring Creek reserve where the fire started, said he and his wife Robyn Evans were out at dinner when the fire broke out about 6.30pm on Sunday.
“My son Ned had ducked out to Subway for dinner and came back to find the reserve on fire,” Mr Evans said.
“He’d only been gone 10 minutes.”
“Ned’s first thought was ‘sh-t’ the house is on fire.
“He texted to just say, ‘so much smoke and four fire trucks’.”
A Country Fire Authority spokesman (CFA) said they received triple-0 calls reporting the grass fire at around 6.30pm on Sunday night.
“CFA crews from Grovedale Torquay, Bellbrae and Anglesea all responded and had five tankers on it,” he said.
“It was under control in twenty minutes.”
He said by the time they got home it was out, but no one knew how it had happened.
“It was very dry that day,” he said.
“It could’ve been a lot worse.”
Local Torquay resident Vicki Clearihan said the whole street was filled with smoke, and neighbours made their way towards the fire to make sure it wasn’t a house.
“there was so much smoke, and the smell was so strong,” she said.
“We said ‘something’s really on fire’.”
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Originally published as Grass fire burns through Spring Creek Reserve, Torquay
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