About 11 CFA tankers rushed to the Lilliput property at 6am to tackle the fire.

Rutherglen group officer Andrew Russell said they had not determined what started the blaze and was thankful it did not happen a day earlier, when temperatures were about 40 degrees.

He said the fire was controlled quickly then it became a “community effort” between the property owner and volunteers to pull apart the haystacks and completely stop the fire.

The slow job was expected to keep firefighters on the scene into the afternoon.

“Hay stack fires are always a risk,” Mr Russel said.

“These guys are some of the best farmers in the area, this is more bad luck than bad management.

“It’s just a reminder you need to monitor your stacks.”