6000 hay bales torched in Kerang fire

Northern Victorian fire crews have fought a massive blaze into the night, after it caused more than $1 million worth of estimated damage.

Crews battled through the night to contain the Kerang hay fire. Picture: Supplied (Brad Morpeth, Swan Hill Fire Brigade)

Northern Victorian fire brigades have battled a massive fire into the night at a hay storage property, with thousands of hay bales torched.

Hot and windy conditions wreaked havoc on Tuesday as 27 units from Kerang, Cohuna, Koondrook, Murrabit and Lake Charm Fire Brigades combined to attend the blaze after emergency services were called to a Kerang property at Kerang-Koondrook Rd, about noon.

Fire crews estimated 6000 hay bales were incinerated in the fires while seven hay sheds were also destroyed, causing damage worth more than $1 million.

Fire crews managed to save 15 other haysheds at the property and thousands of hay bales.

The aftermath of the Kerang hay fire. Picture: Supplied (Kerang Fire Brigade)

The incident started when a large hayshed caught fire, spreading to a further six haysheds as hot and wild wind whipped up in the afternoon.

CFA district 20 operations manager Bryan Suckling said the fire started due to spontaneous combustion.

“The crews did a lot of work to move nearby hay stacks and move them out of harms way,” Mr Suckling said.

“It was a difficult day to predict; the wind got up a bit stronger than we expect and changed direction.”

Multiple fire crews were at the property for more than six hours working to try and prevent the spread of fire, as well as crews who stayed overnight to patrol the site.

As of Wednesday morning, CFA services remain at the Kerang property as crews monitor the burnt hay bales as they burn out in the next 48 hours.

Hot and windy conditions made the Kerang hay fire challenging for crews to contain. Picture: Supplied (Koondrook Fire Brigade)

Mr Suckling said the incident served as a warning to farmers to constantly assess the state of their hay in storage.

“Make sure you are constantly looking, temperature checking and checking the smell. There is some late season moisture and sugars in the crops, so it is a bit of a perfect storm,” he said.

“The key is to keep patrolling and monitoring what you have got. This facility is very good, and the strong message locally is, these guys are pretty switched on so it can happen to anyone.

“It is also a reminder to prepare, not just hay, but your property for the fire season.

“Dozens of dedicated volunteers were called to this blaze and that takes its toll, so any help from the community is really appreciated.”