mmg.com.au

Rochester Fire Brigade captain Mick Hassell warned motorists to take care after a grassfire covered a section of the Northern Hwy in smoke yesterday.

While fire crews from Echuca, Rochester, Lockington and Bamawm Extension took about five minutes to extinguish the fire, Mr Hassell said when brigades arrived, motorists were driving into smoke at high speeds.

He said motorists needed to drive carefully around fire.

‘‘You do not drive head on into fog at high speed, so why would you do it when there is smoke on the road?’’ he said.

‘‘While there was only smoke over the highway for a small amount of time, it can be dangerous.

‘‘There can be fire on the road or a car stopped ahead.’’

An electrical fault in a transformer caused the small fire in dry grass on the side of the Northern Hwy, near Singer Rd, about 2.30pm.

Mr Hassell said crews spent about 30 to 40 minutes blacking out the area.