CFA battles shed blaze

A SHED fire in Badger Creek last week started a grass fire raising fears it could spread towards Healesville Sanctuary and Mt Toolbewong.
A house on the same property on Pine Avenue was destroyed in a fire in August.
Badger Creek CFA was called to the fire about 7pm on Tuesday, 9 January.
Brigade captain Nic Rodway said they realised they were heading towards more than a grass fire when they saw thick, black smoke rising from the property.
He said their priority was to get the grass fire under control.
“Our main concern was that if the wind had picked up again it could have been either at the back of the Sanctuary or heading towards Mt Toolbewong.”
Firefighters then had to contend with a series of explosions as they battled to get the shed fire contained.
Mr Rodway said both the shed and grass fires had been burning for a while before the grass fire was reported.
At Coldstream the next morning, firefighters managed to save some of the contents of a Tarrawarra Road house destroyed by fire.
Coldstream, Yarra Glen and Healesville units were called to the fire at around 8am after the owner of the weatherboard house called 000.
Coldstream CFA captain Phil Giddens said the woman discovered the fire when she went outside to talk with a builder working on another house on the property.
The fire was well under way when the brigades arrived and Mr Giddens said it appeared it had been going for a while before the owner realised the house was on fire.
Brigade members were able to get some personal items out of the house.
“The safety of our volunteers is always paramount, but where we can we will try to save what we can – particularly photos and things people can’t replace,” Mr Giddens said.