Ballarat firefighters have worked quickly to extinguish a burning pile of household items at a property in Humffray Street North. The alarm was raised at 1.34pm Tuesday in Ballarat East. It was initially reported as a fire in a weatherboard house, but on arrival, CFA and FRV firefighters found a pile of household goods on fire outside a shed. At this stage it is unclear if the fire is suspicious, but the CFA said they had asked police and fire investigators to check out the scene. The CFA said the incident was under control at 1:44pm and made safe at 1:48pm. It came before a grassfire burned within metres of the Clunes Primary School. Emergency services received the first calls at 1.57pm, with reports of 1.5 metre long phalaris grass on fire. School staff said they could see smoke coming from a site in neighbouring Paddock Road and hear helicopters overhead. The CFA confirmed that an aircraft was brought in to support firefighters on the ground. At least four firefighting units were called to the incident from Clunes, Ullina and Creswick. The fire was brought under control by 2.33pm, although several crews remained to black out. The CFA said police and fire investigators were also called to the Clunes fire. The school was due to finish for the day at 3pm. Meanwhile, a 'stay informed' warning has been issued for an area south of Ballarat, along the Hamilton Highway. Firefighters have spent much of the afternoon at a grassfire in Baileys Road at Hesse, which has throw up a large amount of smoke.
