Residents think quick

QUICKthinking Beaconsfield residents used buckets filled with water to douse a grass and scrub fire that could have threatened homes.
The residents were praised by the Country Fire Authority (CFA) for their efforts in fighting the escaped burnoff in O’Neil Road, the brigade saying the residents had possibly helped save property and lives.
CFA crews were called to the fire at the local landmark known as Mt Misery just before 7pm on Saturday, 7 January.
Firefighters were alerted after a neighbour called 000.
CFA community education coordinator Rebecca Mouy said the first fire crews to arrive on the scene discovered the burnoff had spread to surrounding bush and the roadside nature strip.
But the hard work of the residents, who are members of an active community fireguard group in the area, had ensured the damage was minimised.
“While fire crews took some action to ensure the fire had been put out, the majority of the work had been undertaken by the surrounding neighbours who worked together using buckets of water to prevent the fire from spreading,” Ms Mouy said.
Beaconsfield CFA captain Michael Ott commended the residents on their quick action.
He said they had worked together to prevent the fire from spreading further and potentially placing life and property at risk.
“The action of the residents highlights that they have a good understanding of the risk of fire in their area and have the resources and the knowledge to respond appropriately to incidents such as these,” Mr Ott said.
Eighteen firefighters from the Beaconsfield and Upper Beaconsfield fire brigades attended the fire.
CFA crews were on scene for about 30 minutes.