FIREFIGHTERS braved horrendous conditions yesterday, battling four blazes across the district's Code Red fire day.
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The fires are under investigation and showed just what was possible during catastrophic conditions, according to CFA district 20 commander Michael Masters.
“This is only the start of the fire season and is an example of what one bad day can do,” he said.
“There is plenty of potential over the next few weeks for fires like this, if not worse.”
As temperatures edged towards 40C just before noon, a fire broke out at a machinery shed in Patho.
Six trucks were called to the McNaught Rd property at 11.45am where fire crews took two hours to contain the flames.
“It was a good save as there were high wind speeds,” Mr Masters said.
“The fire burnt the shed and about 100m of grass. It will probably burn for some time.”
Fifteen tankers were then called to a grass fire at Nanneella at 12.25pm.
Mr Masters said about 20ha of private property along Echuca-Nanneella and O'Dea roads was burnt.
Standing in her front yard as the smoke rolled over, Echuca-Nanneella Rd resident Emma Mortimer said it was an eerie sight.
“It was very unnerving watching all the smoke and dust and the wind was so strong and unpredictable; we just didn’t know what to do,” she said.
“It really was a wake up call for how quickly conditions can change and how important it is to be on alert.”
Fifteen minutes later, another bushfire erupted at the corner of Burgoine and Graham roads in Strathallan.
“It ran extremely fast to the south and impacted a couple of buildings including one house,” Mr Masters said.
The blaze had not been contained by 5pm yesterday.
“An ambulance was called for a woman suffering from stress on Burgoine Rd,” Mr Masters said.
The fire triggered an emergency warning for people living in Bonn, Fairy Dell, Nanneella, Rochester, Strathallan and Timmering; who were told it was “too late to leave".
Emergency Management Commissioner Andrew Crisp said the fire was the most concerning to firefighters, with six families having relocate.
Train travel between Echuca and Bendigo is also expected to be affected after fire damaged parts of the track.
Mr Masters said lightning started another blaze west of Elmore at 2.55pm.
“About 20 tankers turned out to that fire which burnt about 20ha of wheat stubble,” he said.
Mr Masters said while it was unfortunate the fires had caused damage to properties and distress to residents, it could have been a lot worse.“I expected us to have grass fires in excess of 1000ha,” he said.“We have been relatively blessed, especially as the fires haven't taken anyone's life.“However there is plenty of capacity for fires to develop so we would encourage people to make sure they have a bushfire plan in place.”Yesterday's Code Red fire day saw more than 20 district schools and early learning centres closed for the day, including Echuca Specialist School, Cohuna Secondary College; Colbinabbin and Girgarre, Goornong, Gunbower, Koondrook and Leitchville primary schools; Lockington Consolidated School, Pyramid Hill College, Echuca's Bendigo TAFE, Goodstart Early Learning Echuca; Shine Bright kindergartens in Echuca, Gunbower and Lockington; and Tongala Community Activities Centre.
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