Firefighters run for their lives after blaze engulfs truck
The members of a Victorian firefighting crew are lucky to be alive after a blaze engulfed their truck on Monday.
The four CFA men were battling a grass fire near Swan Hill near the NSW-Victorian border when a sudden wind change trapped them.
The four men were forced to run for their lives, with one of the men injuring his ankle in the incident and another needing treatment for smoke inhalation.
The truck was destroyed in the 500-hectare fire.
Dozens of crews joined the battle, with the fire consuming a large area of grassland and paddocks.
Reinforcements were called in from NSW with two skybombers were at the scene.
The fire has been contained after a lengthy battle, but it continues to burn.
Authorities have warned a wet start to spring could lead to a very hazardous summer ahead.
“Across Victoria this weather is drying the fuels which will see a dramatic change in the whole landscape as a result of rain over the next few weeks,” Emergency Management Commissioner Craig Lapsley said.
“That sets us up for a fire season in January and February, in particular, but will start in December without a doubt.”
Victorian fire crews were also kept busy with a suspected deliberately lit fire in Cranbourne on Monday.
Crews battled soaring temperatures and strong winds at the Cranbourne Botanic Gardens, with the hunt for an arsonist underway.
