A grassfire broke out at Cardinia Reservoir, with smoke visible from surrounding communities and major roads on September 16.
Emergency crews were called to the scene at around 1.15 pm. The fire occurred in a remote section of the reservoir not accessible to the general public.
The Upper Beaconsfield Fire Brigade stated that the fire is believed to have originated from a burn-off conducted two weeks ago, which flared up due to the extremely strong northerly winds.
“Arriving first on scene it was quickly apparent that many more resources would be required to bring the fire under control,” the brigade shared on their social media page.
“In a large multi-agency response, resources from CFA (Country Fire Authority) along with Victoria Police, Ambulance Victoria, Cardinia Shire Council, Melbourne Water and Forest Fire Management Victoria worked closely together to coordinate the required response.”
A total of 29 appliances from 19 brigades, including Bayswater, Beaconsfield, Belgrave South, Bunyip, Clematis, Cockatoo, Devon Meadows, Emerald, Kalorama, Koo Wee Rup, Macclesfield, Narre Warren, Upper Beaconsfield, Upper Ferntree Gully, Pakenham Upper, Selby, Toomuc, and Yellingbo Rural Fire Brigade, worked tirelessly in challenging conditions.
According to the brigade, the incident was handed over to the control of Melbourne Water at around 6pm to manage and monitor overnight.
Local brigades provided support for crews on site. Yellingbo Rural Fire Brigade supplied a rehabilitation unit for firefighter welfare, while Narre Warren Fire Brigade CFA provided dinner for crews at the Elephant Rock carpark.
Cardinia Shire Council provided a bulk water tanker to supply water to the large number of firefighting appliances on scene reducing the time needed to refill.
The brigade reminded the public that the incident highlights the importance of downloading and setting up the VicEmergency app to stay informed about emergencies in their watch zones.
