Little River bushfire under control after destroying properties
Almost 100 firefighters battled the Little River bushfire on Friday night, with a late cool change making efforts to contain the blaze easier.
The fire began north of Little River, a town in between Geelong and Melbourne, just before midday on Friday and it was brought under control shortly before 8pm.
On Saturday, residents received a message informing them that the fire was under control. ''There is currently no threat to you, but you should stay informed and monitor weather and fire conditions,'' they were told.
There are unconfirmed reports that at least one house has been destroyed in the fire, with several other structures feared destroyed.
At least 50 fire trucks, several large air tankers and dozens of firefighters battled the 1240-hectare blaze, which was contained south-east of the Princes Freeway.
Victoria Police is investigating the fire, which is being treated as suspicious. Authorities said three ignition points for the fire had been found so far, but could not confirm what had started the blaze.
The Little River fire was one of 19 across the state on Friday.
V/Line train services on the Geelong line were suspended, with road coaches dispatched. Trains resumed by 5pm, with some cancellations.
Locals told The Age several structures were lost due to the fire, although there are no reports of injuries. One firefighter has been treated for smoke inhalation.
"Two people have lost their houses already within the last 30 minutes," said Madde at the Little River General Store about 1pm.
One was located in Edgars Road, and one on Narraburra Road, she said.
Emergency Management Victoria commissioner Andrew Crisp confirmed several structures had been destroyed in the fire. Authorities are yet to confirm that houses have been lost. They have, however, confirmed that houses are under threat in the evacuation zone.
“We have been advised there were some structural losses – sheds, several sheds. But there are probably 130 homes that need to be checked,” he said.
"We have some vision of some sheds that are impacted, so not knowing exactly the extent, we have vision of sheds but no sign of any houses ... some good work has been done to save some houses," he said.