FIREFIGHTERS have praised the quick response of a woman who contained a fire lit at Bendigo’s Rosalind Park rotunda.
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A small section of the wooden rotunda was burnt just after 3pm yesterday.
Raelene McDonell was walking her dog at the time and noticed the flames before she poured a bottle of water on the fire.
“The flames had started to catch the wood,” she said.
“I was worried some of the embers might have gone underneath so I thought it was best to try and put it out. You never know how quickly it could have gone up.”
CFA attended and declared the area under control a short time later.
Senior station officer Tim Bruechert said the fire was believed to have been sparked by someone lighting a small amount of flammable liquid.
He praised the proactive response of Mrs McDonell and said the small fire could have easily spread to a wider area of the timber structure.
“It would have burnt pretty well if it had been left to go,” he said. “It’s good that this person has decided to act. Some people just look around and think someone else will call the CFA and then it’s too late.”
The City of Greater Bendigo Council was called to assess the structural stability of the rotunda, which was built in 1975.
Officers from building and property services unit inspected the site late yesterday and ruled it safe for public use.