A SERIES of fires on the Mornington Peninsula had brigades on full alert over the weekend.
Dromana CFA Captain Tim Desmond said crews were called out six times on Sunday 3 February – three times to tackle a “suspicious” grass and scrub fire at the foot of Arthurs Seat, Dromana, that had been set alight the previous day.
Five CFA crews took 25 minutes to bring the original fire under control on Saturday, just after 9am.
The fire below the Dromana cemetery was visible from Peninsula Link and fire crews were called to return several times on Sunday afternoon when more smoke was reported from the original blaze.
Smouldering logs from a fire on the beach caused concern for fire crews at McCrae, 8am, Sunday 3 February. The fire had been lit on the Saturday but had remained alight overnight. Crews from a CFA truck put the fire out in a few minutes on a day of total fire ban.
Three Mornington CFA crews brought a grass and scrub fire under control at Curtain Reserve, near Richardson Drive, Mornington Saturday 4.50pm.
A car’s engine caught fire on Peninsula Link, Dromana, late Sunday afternoon. Rosebud Senior Sergeant Kirby Tonkin said the BMW X5 station wagon suffered a mechanical failure before the engine burst into flames, 6.30pm, causing a small grass fire.
Three CFA fire crews brought the fire under control at 7pm. One lane of the freeway was blocked outbound for 30 minutes causing long delays. Ambulance Victoria said no one was injured in the incident.
Dromana CFA crews were called when a barbecue was seen alight at a property in Bentley Road, McCrae, 10.30am, Sunday 3 February. It is not known if anyone was charged over the incident.
First published in the Western Port News – 5 February 2019
