By Kyra Gillespie
Police say an electrical fault is to blame for a fire that destroyed a property and burnt 3 hectares of land in Gembrook over the weekend.
Only a chimney remains of Alkira Cottages retreat in Gembrook after it caught on fire on Saturday 17 March.
CFA and police crews were called to the multi-storey property on Gembrook-Launching Place Road at 3:30pm.
The structure was fully engulfed in flames upon arrival, a CFA spokeswoman said.
The fire then spread to surrounding grasslands, burning a total of 3 hectares of steep, inaccessible terrain.
It took 13 firetrucks to get the blaze under control by 4:17pm due to the difficult nature of the terrain.
“It appears that the ensuing bushfire was a result of the structure fire,” the CFA spokeswoman said.
“The fire spread to steep country, making it harder for the firefighters due to difficult access and hazardous trees. Strong winds were the biggest concern on the day, which reached an excess of 100km per hour.
“The focus of the day was to get the fire secure. It was a fantastic effort by crews and services who attended on the day.”
The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) and the CFA continue to monitor the area and will be there for the remainder of the week to ensure there are no flare ups.
Police say the fire was caused by an electrical fault and is not being treated as suspicious.
