AN EGANSTOWN man whose small burn off sparked out of control on Monday is urging people to wait until it rains before lighting fires.
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The man, who wants to remain anonymous, said he was burning a small pile of leaves when, within 10 minutes, the fire spread several metres.
"I did all the right things - I called CFA, I made sure it was in a safe area, but the grass was just way too dry," he said.
"As I was trying to put out the sparks, more and more started coming and I just couldn't control it."
Four CFA crews attended the blaze on Brandy Hot Road at 12.10pm, and extinguished it within 40 minutes.
They remained on scene for several hours blacking out the fire.
"It was really scary how fast it moved and just shows what can happen in an instant," the man said.
"You think because the Fire Danger Period is over, you don't have to worry, but you always do."
District 15 operations manager reminded people burning off that they must abide by the requirements of the Summary Offences Act.
Requirements include to check and follow any local regulations or laws set down by the council, not leave a fire unattended, notify neighbours before starting the burn and establish a fire break.
“It is important all landholders take adequate precautions to ensure all requirements are met," Mr Bruce said.
"There's been cooler weather over recent months, but there hasn’t been much rainfall across the district and vegetation is still relatively dry”.
Mr Bruce also urged people to register all burn offs to prevent volunteers' time being wasted.
To register a burn off call 1800 668 511. For further information visit www.cfa.vic.gov.au.