Firefighters are being praised for their quick action in saving more than 100 homes from a fast-moving fire. While Victoria escaped the catastrophic fire conditions relatively unscathed a grass fire that sprung up a Dereel forced many locals to leave their home. But with dozens of fire trucks and aircrafts on standby in nearby Ballarat, help was soon on hand, and fire was brought under control without a single house being lost.
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00:00 The ferocity and speed of the fire at Darreil was immediately apparent to firefighters.
00:07 It was moving so fast the fire went from spot fires in the ground to crowning in the treetops within minutes.
00:15 As teams fought it from above and below, residents of the small town fled.
00:22 We just thought there was no defending where we are and we had to go.
00:26 When Damien Maloney returned after midnight, he couldn't believe his eyes.
00:31 The fire has literally skipped our houses. It is something else.
00:36 This scrubby bushland around Darreil has a terrible reputation among firefighters.
00:42 So there was a lot of concern when this blaze took off last night.
00:47 60 tankers and a dozen aircraft were quickly deployed and crews were able to bring it under control within hours.
00:54 If you could hug every single one of them without making anyone uncomfortable, you probably would.
00:59 Authorities say the actions of firefighters, including trucks from the NSW Fire Service, saved 117 homes from being burnt.
01:09 So what caused the tears? Well the ladies came up and said, "You saved my mum's house."
01:13 Yeah. That'll do.
01:17 Today, crews were out mopping up and marking dangerous trees.
01:22 The cause of the fire is still being investigated, but there's speculation it could have been a faulty electric fence.
01:29 The weather that whipped up the blaze here also kept crews busy at the existing Bayon Deen Fire Ground near Beaufort.
01:36 Half a dozen small fires flared up as the winds peaked, but all were quickly extinguished with the help of aerial bombers.
01:44 They do a good job. They do the work of probably getting half a dozen trucks in one hit.
01:48 It's good. It helps us get right on top of it from the word go.
01:52 Allowing a sense of calm to return to the streets of Beaufort for the first time in days.
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