CFA crews respond to fires on Staffords Rd, Lava St and Viaduct Rd, Warrnambool
Warrnambool fire crews have been busy with burning haybales, grass, cars and motel rooms this week. Read what we know.
Firefighters have been kept busy with a number of fires in Warrnambool this week, with two believed to be linked.
On Friday morning firefighters rushed to reports of a motel room fire at the corner of Kepler St and Raglan Pde just after midnight.
Firefighters left the scene just before 12:30am before handing the scene to police, who are investigating if it is suspicious.
No injuries were reported.
It came after Country Fire Authority crews responded to reports of hay bales on fire in a paddock at Staffords Rd about 7pm on Wednesday.
Six CFA units responded to the incident with support from Fire Rescue Victoria.
Around 20 bales were fully involved by fire upon arrival at the scene.
Crews arranged for an excavator to attend and pull the hay bales apart to help extinguish the fire.
Firefighters were monitoring and blacking out the bales overnight and declared the scene safe about 1am on Thursday.
Around the same time fire crews were called to a separate fire in Lava St, near St Joseph’s Catholic Church, about 7pm on Wednesday.
Crews arrived at the scene to find a fully alight vehicle, believed to be a Land Cruiser.
The fire, which is being treated as suspicious, was brought under control just after 7.30pm.
Warrnambool Crime Investigation Unit detectives are investigating the incident.
The night before fire crews responded to a grassfire in parkland near the foreshore and skate park on Viaduct Rd just before 6pm.
It is believed a homeless man’s tent and most of his possessions were destroyed by the blaze.
FRV and CFA crews brought the fire under control and firefighters left the scene just before 7pm.
Police believe the car fire on Lava St on Wednesday and the grassfire on Viaduct Rd on Tuesday may be linked.
Acting deputy commissioner Gavin Rooney has alerted community members of the southwest on how to stay safe during times when fires are at risk of occurring in surrounding environments, including house fires.
“I cannot stress more strongly that only working smoke alarms will save your life in the event of a fire,” Mr Rooney said.
“Test your smoke alarms by pressing the ‘test’ button on your smoke alarms and if you don’t hear three beeps, it’s time to replace either the battery or the alarm itself,” he said.
Any witnesses or anyone with information on the Lava St car fire is urged to contact Crime Stoppers Victoria on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.
