http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574...3-1243,00.html


A LIT cigarette butt, possibly thrown from a passing car or truck, is the
probable cause of the West Bendigo fire that claimed two lives and destroyed
50 homes.

The fire started about 5.30pm on Saturday in a vacant Eaglehawk block, just
1.5km from Bendigo's city centre, 150km northwest of Melbourne.

Between 6pm Saturday and early Sunday morning, residents in Maiden Gully,
California Gully, Long Gully, Eaglehawk and West Bendigo were evacuated, The
Australian reports.

Fifty CFA crews took several hours to bring the blaze under control.

Strike crews spent all of yesterday putting out burning embers, while State
Emergency Service workers and police set up roadblocks to keep the area off-
limits to curious day-trippers.

CFA crews worked through the night trying to save properties and contain new
outbreaks caused by burning embers and changes in wind direction.
Related Coverage

Two people died in the blaze, one in Bendigo and another when a Long Gully
house was destroyed by the fire.

--
Peter Lucas
Brisbane
Australia

Tell me what you eat and I'll tell you who you are.

Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin