Acid find slows firies

Firefighters mopping up after a bushfire tore through Medina last week were kept on their feet longer than expected after acid sulfate was discovered in the ground soil.

The fire was sparked at 8.23pm last Tuesday and burnt through about 20ha of bushland on the western side of Gentle Road, and towards the railway line.

Department of Fire and Emergency Services issued a warning at 11pm for Medina residents to remain vigilant.

DFES incident controller Peter Sutton said no lives were threatened, but firefighters dealt with a high fuel load area.

He said the discovery of 60,000m of acid sulfate in the ground soil had created an extra hurdle for firefighters battling the blaze.

The clean-up lasted several days.

“If the fire became deep-seated, it could have travelled long distances underground and under firebreaks,” Mr Sutton said.

DFES issued an all-clear for thepeople in the western part of Medina at 9.50am on Thursday.

A DFES spokeswoman said the bushfire was under control and the danger had passed.

A group of 70 career and volunteer Fire and Rescue Service and Bush Fire Service firefighters attended the scene.

They were supported by the air intelligence helicopter and the State Emergency Service.

The cause of the fire remains suspicious.