AN unfortunate magpie which flew into a power line at Huon Hill was thought to be the first culprit which sparked a small grass fire yesterday.
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But fire investigators have now turned their attention to an equipment fault with the communication towers.
CFA district 24 operations officer Mark Owens said about two hectares was burnt on Stringy Bark Track on top of the hill which overlooks Albury-Wodonga when fire started at 12.30pm.
Eleven fire trucks and a helicopter dumping water responded to quickly stem the fire in the dry grass.
Mr Owens said a definitive cause has not yet been determined, but the fire could have been sparked by an equipment fault and not a wry magpie which had flown into one of the towers and was left hanging dead to the pole.
“Usually when birds spark fires they drop to the ground,” he said.
Fire investigators and SP Ausnet personnel were assessing the scene yesterday.
Mr Owens praised the community for their quick thinking in contacting triple-0 after they spotted smoke from the hill.
“We had between 50 and 60 calls to triple-0, it was good to see people calling it in,” he said.
He warned that despite the forecast rain this weekend, there was still a lot of dry grass and people still needed to be vigilant.