A grassfire on Monday 4 March at Bangholme in Melbourne's south-east is believed to have been started by a car fire.
Photos courtesy Narre Warren Fire Brigade
Crews were called to the fire just after 5pm and arrived to find a fire had spread from a car to nearby grass about 500 metres from the intersection of Harwood Road and Dandenong-Frankston Road.
Within 10 minutes the call was made to increase the response to three tankers. A further two tankers and six pumpers were paged soon after.
With smoke building, an advice message was issued for Bangholme, Carrum Downs, Dandenong South, Lyndhurst, Patterson Lakes and Sandhurst at 5.27pm.
Air support was called in to drop water on the fire just after 5.30pm due to the potential impact on neighbouring properties.
At 5.41pm a Watch and Act message was issued for Bangholme, Dandenong South and Lyndhurst.
The number of tankers was increased to 20 and a staging area was set up on Harwood Road to brief crews from Carrum Downs, Cranbourne, Dandenong, Frankston, Hallam, Hampton Park, Keysborough, Mt Eliza, Narre Warren, Patterson River, Pearcedale, Rowville, Scoresby and Somerville as they arrived.
Police evacuated people from the southern side of the caravan park and put road closures in place for Frankston-Dandenong Road and Thompsons Road.
The fire was deemed under control at 6.48pm. An advice message was issued at 6.57pm for more than 35 suburbs as smoke drifted across the south east.
Graders were called in to put in containment lines with fire crews blacking out the area to ensure it was safe. Tankers remained on scene until 11.30pm.
Victoria Police are investigating the cause of the fire.
Photos courtesy Narre Warren Fire Brigade
