A bushfire that threatened Balmoral on Wednesday was accidentally started when a Country Fire Authority member took a cigarette lighter to long grass during a safety briefing.
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The CFA confirmed the dangerous blaze was sparked during a safety lecture when a member tried to demonstrate how quickly fuel can burn.
CFA deputy chief officer Alen Slijepcevic told radio station 3AW the man responsible was "very embarrassed".
"We do apologise to the Balmoral community," he said.
"Thankfully there was no significant property damage done."
An independent investigation into the blaze is under way and the member has not been stood down.
The CFA issued an emergency warning at 3.14pm on Wednesday saying residents were in danger and should shelter indoors. They warned it was too late to leave as the blaze burned in a southerly direction toward the Southern Grampians town through a recreational reserve on Harrow Road.
Temperatures were soaring across the state at the time with Balmoral's neighbouring town of Kanagulk recording a top temperature of 39.4 degrees.
Several CFA trucks as well as aircraft battled the fire and by 4.13pm it was under control and the emergency warning was lifted.
CFA crews had quickly controlled a grassfire threatening a home in Macedon on Wednesday morning.
Melbourne recorded a top temperature of 37.6 degrees while Horsham and Mildura both hit a scorching 40 degrees. Total fire bans were declared for the Mallee and Wimmera regions.
The Age
