Firefighters worked in tough conditions for more than 10 hours to stop the spread of a bushfire that broke out Noojee, east of Melbourne, on the weekend.
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Fire investigators are working to determine the cause of the six-hectare fire which started at 10.55am Sunday (21 April) at a pine and blue gum plantation on Loch Valley Road, Loch Valley.
Six tankers, a big fill and a field command vehicle were on scene as bulldozers were brought in to establish mineral earth fire breaks around the fire in an effort to stop flames jumping the road and spreading up nearby hills.
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Image: google.com
Firefighters from Noojee, Drouin West, Little Yarra, Longwarry, Neerim South, and Willow Grove brigades, as well as DELWP firefighters and plantation crews, worked hard to contain the fire along the road edge.
Two fixed-wing aircraft and two helitacks worked from the air to support ground operations.
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The strategy was successful in stopping the spread of the fire, which was declared under control at 3.11pm.
A community update for smoke was issued at 2pm for Loch Valley, McMahons Creek, Noojee, Toorongo, Vesper, Neerim North and Neerim Junction.
Crews remained on scene for several hours, working with plantation staff to extinguish the fire.
Victoria Police was also on scene for traffic control and provide support should there have been a need to evacuate nearby campsites.
Blacking out continues at the incident site to ensure any hot spots are fully extinguished.
Photos by Noojee Fire Brigade and Longwarry Fire Brigade
