Two Country Fire Authority (CFA) brigades responded at 11.09am after reports of power lines sparking and swinging in strong winds on Tarrone Lane. The incident caused the zone substation in Portland to be knocked off line, affecting about 9000 Powercor customers. 

Powercor spokesman Drew Douglas said the power was back on in about an hour but only after crews first patrolled the lines to check for other faults before the substation was restarted, which was standard practice on total fire ban days.

Shortly after the Kirkstall incident, a grassfire broke out about a kilometre east of Tarrington. Two CFA brigades controlled and blacked out  the fire within 30 minutes. 

Also yesterday, a grassfire on Chrome Road at Yulecart,  west of Hamilton, caused some concern because of the wind,  CFA operations officer Bruce Farquharson said.

“There was some anxiousness for a few minutes as it was quite windy,” Mr Farquharson said. 

The fire was controlled within 25 minutes after five brigades  attended. The cause had not been determined.