A BURN-OFF fanned out of control at a Burrungule scrap metal yard yesterday and spread into more than 25 vehicles stored on the property.
The fire – which ignited around 1.15pm in strong winds – triggered a rapid response from emergency services personnel who descended on Keith Pearson’s junkyard property on Megaw Road.
Mount Gambier Country Fire Service captain Bob Davis said the property owner was doing some clean up work yesterday, which involved burning pamper grass at the property.
“The fire got out of where he was burning and spread into approximately 25 cars on the property,” Mr Davis said.
Six Country Fire Service crews attended the blaze with support from the Mount Gambier Metropolitan Fire Service, forestry firefighters, paramedics and police.
They remained on the scene for around three hours extinguishing the blaze, which burned through some scrap metal on the property.
Mr Davis said the damage bill was undetermined.
“It is quite hard to estimate a dollar value because of the fact it is mainly scrap metal,” he said.
Speaking from the Compton quarry yesterday, Mr Pearson thanked firefighters for their swift response to the property.
Mr Pearson has been embroiled in a string of legal battles over his scrap metal operations in Mount Gambier and across the Grant District Council for several years.
