CALDER FIRE SPEEDS AWAY!

At 2:47 yesterday afternoon Woodend was called to a fast-moving grass fire on the Calder Freeway at Kyneton. The fire spread quickly through long grass and trees and threatened several houses (the fire spreading quickly up hills and across paddocks) before being brought under control more than an hour later. Woodend crew was immediately tasked with asset protection. Air attack was brought in and proved invaluable in containing and controlling the fire, along with the 20 tankers on the ground plus numerous support vehicles. Specialist tree crews were also brought in to take care of the numerous trees damaged in the fire. A great job by Kyneton Brigade in running the job and all crews for their long and diligent work, with blacking out continuing for many hours afterwards. The Woodend crew of Brad Dean, Tim Duff, Ned Brook, Jo Hambling and Renato Wolf did a fantastic job (with Renato receiving a baptism of fire at his first call out after recently graduating as a fire fighter) and was released around 8.30pm.