A HOUSE in Beechworth was destroyed after lightning strikes caused grass fires around Chiltern and Beechworth yesterday afternoon.
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Fire crews arrived at Ressom Lane in Beechworth just before 5pm.
CFA district 24 duty officer John Bigham said 10 firefighting units and a Skycrane helicopter worked for an hour to contain the blaze that burnt 10 hectares.
“One house was lost but another house on the same property was saved,” he said.
“There were no injuries to the occupants but they were very rattled.”
Another lightning strike caused a fire at Chiltern along the Beechworth-Chiltern Road near Black Dog Creek about the same time.
Mr Bigham said 20 vehicles responded and light rain helped bring the fire under control within an hour.
The fire burnt 50 hectares.
“Firefighters will be on the scene for quite some time blacking out the area to ensure no embers spark,” he said.
Lightning caused three other small grass fires in the area.