UPDATE 7.24PM:
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A MECHANICAL fault was the cause of a car fire which sparked a bushfire along the Calder Freeway near Taradale on Monday about 5.15pm.
Malmsbury police Senior Constable Robert Sheridan said a 19-year-old woman was travelling along the Calder Freeway towards Bendigo when she was forced to pull over near Metcalfe-Taradale Road.
"She has pulled over and unfortunately it wasn't the safest place," he said.
"So she has moved the car about 200 metres up the road and that is when a second fire has started."
Senior Constable Sheridan said the driver escaped from the car before it burst into flames.
CFA crews took more than hour to control the fire.
The Calder Freeway was closed for a short period of time and north-bound traffic was reduced to one lane with the help of VicRoads.
UPDATE 6.09PM:
THE fire is contained.
UPDATE 6.08PM:
THE CFA has issued an advice warning for Taradale as crews continue to battle a grassfire along the Calder Freeway.
UPDATE 5.49PM:
TRAFFIC is banked up for about a kilometre along the Calder Freeway near Metcalfe-Taradale Road as CFA crews work to extinguish a grassfire.
Police, SES and a helicopter are on scene.
A police truck is working to extinguish a car which caught alight on the side of the road.
The freeway is blocked but there is a detour in place.
There is lots of smoke in the area.
EARLIER:
COUNTRY Fire Authorities are attending to a grassfire along the Calder Freeway near Taradale.
A CFA media spokesman said the fire started after a car caught alight about 5.15pm on Monday.