ARCING powerlines, fallen power poles and reigniting burn offs kept Bendigo fire crews busy on Saturday as strong winds swept through the region.
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Winds of up to 30 kilometres per hour gave a warning of a potentially dangerous fire season in the coming months.
Fire crews attended a small fire in scrub between Amara Way and the railway line in Kangaroo Flat at 5.30pm, where an earlier burn off reignited.
It was quickly brought under control.
Another burn off reignited in the Quarry Hill golf course on Saturday afternoon. The winds fanned piles of ashes in the area which started a small grass fire, also brought quickly under control.
Bendigo senior station officer Rick O'Callaghan said fire crews saw powerlines arcing in the Bendigo suburbs, as the winds blew the lines close to each other.
He said it was important people understood the dangers of fire on days of high winds.
“People need to make sure their burn offs are extinguished properly,” Mr O’Callaghan said.
“We fielded calls from people asking if it was safe to have a fire in their backyards yesterday.
“If the wind is above 15 kilometres per hour then you cannot light a fire in open air.”
The fire call outs were in addition to a number of fallen power poles on Napier Street at White Hills.
Police and fire crews attended the area about 2.30pm on Saturday after a large branch fell on powerlines, dragging down the power poles.
Power was cut off to about 80 premises in White Hills.