A suspicious grass fire near Clyde yesterday may have been started by fireworks.
Fruitgrowers Rd at Earnscleugh was closed for more than an hour as 25 firefighters battled the blaze, which was fanned by 30-40kmh northwest winds. The fire was reported at 3pm and it was fought by the Alexandra and Clyde brigades and crews of rural and Department of Conservation firefighters.
The siren went as several volunteer firemen from Alexandra and Clyde were attending the Alexandra funeral of Lyn Cumming, who was a long-serving member of the Alexandra brigade.
"It was near the end of the service and it seemed unbelievably appropriate when the siren went off," Clyde Chief Fire Officer Richard Davidson said.
Mr Davidson said police were investigating the cause of the fire, which burnt 2500sq m of land bordering the Clyde fire district and Doc land.
"I'm not saying that fireworks were the cause, but there were fireworks being fired around Clyde around that time," he said.
Although the fire started under plyons and power lines, and there was some suggestion that could be significant, he did not believe that was the case.
