The Lancefield planned burn was ignited by the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) on 30 September 2015 and escaped containment lines on 3 October 2015.
The fire was brought under control by DELWP and Country Fire Authority (CFA) firefighters over the next two days but flared up again as a result of the unprecedented hot, windy conditions experienced across Victoria on 6 October 2015.
The bushfire was contained on Tuesday 13 October 2015. It burnt over 3000 hectares and destroyed several dwellings, numerous sheds and many kilometres of fencing. It impacted on lifestyles, livestock and livelihoods and caused considerable economic and social upheaval in the surrounding communities.
On 8 October 2015, Minister for Environment and Climate Change Lisa Neville MP requested an independent investigation into the Lancefield planned burn and subsequent bushfire when it escaped containment lines. The investigation was led by an external, independent expert, Mr Murray Carter, Director of Western Australia’s Office of Bushfire Risk Management.
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The department acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the Traditional Custodians of the land and acknowledges and pays respect to their Elders, past and present.