Spate of fires at weekend

FIREFIGHTERS battled five suspicious fires in Collie at the weekend.

A fire was detected in bushland near Patstone Road on Friday at 6.30pm. It burnt half a hectare of land before it was controlled two hours later.

A Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions(DBCA) spokesperson said no homes or lives were endangered, but it is suspected to have been deliberately lit.

There were also four fires in the area of the Wambenger river walk near David Hay and Venn Streets on Saturday and Sunday. The cause is unknown.

The largest fire was on Sunday, and burnt roughly three hectares of land.

It took an hour and a half to gain control, and was fully contained within three hours.

Shire of Collie Volunteer Bushfire

Brigades and Collie Volunteer Fire and Rescue Service were assisted on Sunday afternoon by the DBCA water bombers.

No lives or homes were directly threatened, as weather conditions moved the fire away from residential properties.

Crews remained on the scene for several hours to consolidate and strengthen containment lines and continue to extinguish hot spots.

Three small fires reported on Saturday and Sunday were controlled within an hour, by crews who arrived within five minutes.

The public is reminded that if they see a fire, avoid the area.

Collie Shire acting chief executive officer Matt Young said excess traffic and personnel in affected areas significantly impedes firefighting efforts and puts additional lives at risk.