Sunbury fire may have been deliberately lit: CFA

Police are investigating a suspicious fire which resulted in an emergency warning for Sunbury and Diggers Rest on Tuesday.

The fire, which was in the Mitchells Lane, Moore Road, Regent Street and the Calder Freeway area, closed the freeway between Gap and Vineyard roads, Diggers Rest, for a number of hours.

Residents were issued the warning about 4pm when the fire crossed the freeway.

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Sunbury Station officer Adam Whitford said the fire took about an hour to control.

“There were 20 trucks and two aircraft which attended the fire,” Mr Whitford said.

“It was about a kilometre by 300 metres in size.

“All the firefighters did a fantastic job with only a lot of fences, trees and grass lost.”

The CFA attended some hot spots later in the night and were monitoring the area this morning.

Mr Whitford said that the CFA believed the fire was deliberately lit.

In January last year, a suspicious grass fire came within metres of houses in the same area.

On that occasion, the fire, which started near the Calder Freeway between Moore Road and Baggy Green Street, burnt 20 hectares with a shed, car and some fences lost.

Anyone with information can call CrimeStoppers on 1800 333 000 or crimestoppers.com.au