Trawool bushfire threat eases but authorities say blaze not yet under control
Dozens of properties were under threat from a bushfire that broke out at Trawool on Tuesday. (ABC News)
In short:
A bushfire near Trawool, south of Seymour, is not yet under control but cooler conditions have helped firefighters.
The fire threatened about 30 homes but authorities said no properties were lost.
The fire has burned about 145 hectares.
Authorities say it is not yet safe for residents to return to properties that were threatened by a bushfire burning out of control south of Seymour in central Victoria.
The fire started near the Goulburn Valley Highway at Trawool on Tuesday afternoon and spread several kilometres through Tallarook State Forest towards Strath Creek.
About 30 homes came under threat from the blaze on Tuesday but the fire was downgraded to Watch and Act level just before 9pm.
Incident Controller Jamie Hansen said crews were helped by favourable weather conditions overnight.
"We've still got an active fire edge right around the perimeter. It's currently sitting at around 145 hectares and we've had crews working overnight and they'll continue throughout the next few days, establishing our containment lines," he told ABC Radio Melbourne.
The fire was fuelled by hot and windy conditions after it broke out in steep terrain in the Tallarook State Forest on Tuesday afternoon. (ABC News)
Mr Hansen there was very little damage to property.
"Firefighters, who were supported by our aircraft, were able to save all those homes in the area. All we sustained was some damage to one shed," he said.
"As we've been saying for a while now, the state is like a tinderbox — it's just ready to go and this fire that travelled very quickly through this bush yesterday really proved that."
The Country Fire Authority (CFA) said the fire was travelling from the highway in an easterly direction towards Kerrisdale.
Authorities said the fire was slow-moving due to the change in conditions.
An evacuation relief centre was set up at Yea but at one stage CFA volunteer and Murrindindi Shire Mayor Damien Gallagher was concerned the wind change would push the fire towards the town.
Weather conditions on Wednesday were expected to be much milder than on Tuesday, with temperatures slightly below average and only light winds.
Meanwhile, fire crews contained a grassfire that broke out at Ardeer, in Melbourne's west on Tuesday afternoon.
A grassfire broke out close to a large retail store at Ardeer. (ABC News)
The fire raced along grassland between the Western Ring Road and Ballarat Road, very close to a large retail complex.