One house and six sheds were lost after a fast-moving 1600ha fire at Goomalibee a week out from Christmas.

A CFA spokesperson said the grassfire broke out about 11:30am 18 December in a paddock and had been started by a mechanical header operating in a crop.

“At the height of the incident there were about 200 firefighters working on the ground assisted by 11 aircraft including two of the large air tankers which responded out of Avalon airport,” they said.

Temperatures peaked at 40 degrees near Benalla last Thursday with peak wind gusts reaching 63km/h in nearby Wangaratta.

The fire spread quickly and multiple emergency warnings were issued in the area, one urging people to shelter indoors and one urging people further east to leave immediately.

The CFA spokesperson said a Thursday afternoon wind change allowed crews the chance to stop the spread of the fire to the west of Broken River, before it crossed the Midland Highway.

It was declared under control last Friday, but not before one house and six sheds were lost.

A relief centre was established in Benalla which has since closed.

There is a community information message current for Goormalibee while firefighters remain on scene to fully extinguish the fire.

A of time of print, the CFA spokesperson said members of the public should remain vigilant of tree hazards and only local traffic can travel in the area, with road closures in places at the intersection of Goomalibee Road and Tarnook Road, intersection of Tarnook Road and Burness Road and intersection of Terret Rd and Goomalibee Road.

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