Detective Sergeant Mark James, of the Hamilton police crime investigation unit, said the fire occurred at the rear of a property at Hamilton’s Coulter Avenue about 11am on Sunday. 

“A resident was having a small burn off in the backyard when the wind took it and ignited other materials,” he said. 

“It has then ignited the side of the house.”

Detective Sergeant James said CFA crews responded quickly. 

”Fortunately the fire was put out before any major damage was done,” he said. 

”It wasn’t a big fire, but there were flammable materials nearby and pretty heavy winds, so it got out of control very fast. 

“There was a lot of smoke due to plastic material catching fire and that was quite scary for the people involved.  It could have been a lot of worse.” 

Detective Sergeant James said it was another reminder for residents to be cautious when burning off. 

“Wind can grab hold of flames very quickly and it doesn’t take long for a fire to start elsewhere,” he said. 

“It is important to ensure that the surrounding area is clear prior to starting a fire.” 

The fire is not being treated as suspicious. 

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