Wimmera, Mallee: Harvest delays increase risk of farm fires

“Astronomical” grass growth in the Wimmera and Mallee has CFA chiefs on high alert for the rest of summer. Read their tips for farmers.

A delayed harvest and a recent hot spell have the Country Fire Authority on edge about grass fires for the rest of summer.

The Mallee and Wimmera are the two areas of most concern with harvest not fully completed due to wet weather.

A fire at Illabarook this month started when a header “shot some sparks” into a paddock and burnt more than 30ha, prompting a warning from CFA to avoid driving vehicles, farm machinery and motorbikes in dry grass on hot days.

“Things have browned off a lot,” CFA District 15 Commander Gavin Hope said.

“The warm weather has contributed to that obviously with the western side of the state pretty much 100 per cent cured now.”

Sparks from a harvester started a 30ha fire at Illabarook in central Victoria this month. Picture: Supplied

He said the Illabarook farmer “did his best” to extinguish the fire that eventually needed 20 trucks and a water bombing aircraft to bring under control.

“He did have his own private fire truck on the scene, but unfortunately ran out of water,” he said.

“We were lucky there wasn’t a strong wind and everyone did an amazing job to pull that fire up.”

With an estimated 20 per cent of harvest to go, Commander Hope urged farmers to keep harvesters dust-free and well maintained to limit the threat of grass fires, which can travel at 25km/h under the right conditions.

Paddock bans on hot days are also encouraged.

Mildura-based District 18 Commander Mick Sporton said growth had been “astronomical” in recent weeks, leading to an increased number of grass and machinery fires.

“The fuel load in the roadside grasses and unslashed areas is almost up to an extreme level,” he said.

“It is growth we haven’t seen for many, many years.”

The burnt out remains of a recent fire in an abandoned fruit block at Red Cliffs. Picture: Glenn Milne

A fire also broke out on a day of 43 degrees, in an abandoned fruit block at Red Cliffs recently.

It could only be attacked from the air due to the amount of dead wood, thistles and weeds on the ground.

On the other side of Victoria, fire restrictions in East Gippsland, Baw Baw, Latrobe City and Wellington shires only came into effect on January 16.

Northeast farmer and CFA brigade captain Ron Ferguson said his paddocks were unusually green for late January.

“We are in the time of year you’d expect things to dry out, but there is still green there because of these bits of thunderstorms,” he said.

“We’ve had 44mm over four nights.”