Firefighters are battling a suspicious fire burning in Victoria’s Gippsland, which whipped into a 10,0000-hectare inferno overnight.
It’s the work of an alleged firebug which forced 40 firefighters to take cover at Rosedale West on Friday night.
It grew from 500 hectares to 10,000 in just one hour and a fire truck, trailer and bulldozer were destroyed.
Emergency management commissioner Andrew Crisp said firefighters “were left shaken” by the blaze.
About 70 residents were evacuated but Richard and Pia Crook stayed back to defend their 139-year-old home.
Ms Crook said the blaze was “a wall of fire”.
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” she said.
Mr Crook added at one stage they “were going to be in real trouble but the wind changed again”.
Ten aircraft were brought in to fight the fire. One continued throughout the night working to contain it.
It’s the first time in Australian history they’ve been allowed to fight a fire from the air overnight.
Bulldozers and clearing continued on Saturday afternoon and an arson probe began.
