Firefighters respond to Swan Bay and Balliang blazes
As bushfires continue to rage across the state, firefighters in the Geelong region responded to two blazes on Saturday.
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The scene of a blaze that started in “suspicious circumstances” at Swan Bay on Saturday morning was handed to police as firefighters also battled a bushfire north of Geelong only hours later.
A State Control Centre spokesman said firefighters responded to reports of a grass fire about 11.45am on Saturday on Swan Bay Rd.
“Three Country Fire Authority (CFA) units from Ocean Grove, Queenscliff and Mannerim attended the, scene alongside FRV and Victoria Police,” the spokesman said.
“Upon arrival, crews found around 10 square metres of shrubs burning and quickly began work to contain the situation.”
The fire was deemed under control about 12pm and declared safe about five minutes later.
The spokesman said the scene was then handed to Victoria Police due to suspicious circumstances.
According to VicEmergency a bushfire started on Gilmores Rd near Balliang about 1.30pm on Saturday.
It was deemed under control about 2.20pm.
As many as 16 vehicles responded to the fire
It comes as multiple bushfires continue to rage across Victoria, with residents in parts of the state’s west urged to evacuate.
The most significant blaze is burning in the Grampians where more than 350 firefighters are working around the clock to contain the 28,000ha fire.
Emergency services issued an alert to residents in Bellfield, Bellfield Settlement, Flat Rock Crossing, Fyans Creek, Grampians Junction and Halls Gap to leave immediately on Saturday afternoon.
The alert said that leaving after 6pm on Saturday would be “considered life threatening”.
They recommended people in this area leave via Grampians Road and head towards Stawell.
Residents in Bullengarook, near Gisborne, have also been urged to leave immediately, with the CFA warning that it may be too late to leave after 2.30pm on Saturday.
The CFA advised residents that a relief centre is open at Kyneton Racecourse, and that Coffeys Rd and Waterloo Flat Rd are closed.
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