A second fire has broken out in Wodonga in less than a week, with nearby residents questioning whether Tuesday's blaze was deliberately lit.
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The fire occurred about 250 metres from the closest home and was brought under control after 45 minutes, and was stopped about 4.55pm.
They continued to black out the area.
Police have responded to deliberately lit fires in the nearby area in recent years.
There was no lightning in the area at the time, and multiple residents said it appeared to be a strange place for a fire to start.
CFA operations manager Ash Mills said the fire was being treated as suspicious.
"There's really not much up there that can create an ignition source," he said.
"The detectives from Victoria Police and CFA fire investigators have been up there.
"It's a very good save from the teams that turned up to prevent the fire getting onto Hunchback Hill, which could have caused days if not weeks of work."
Mr Mills said the crews who fought the blaze were already tired after weeks of fighting fires in NSW and the local area.
"It was an amazing effort to keep this fire at 15 acres," he said.
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"The dedication of these people and their commitment to the community is amazing."
Aimee McDonald and her sister left their Ingrams Road home with their two cavoodles after receiving an alert.
"I'm concerned at how it started," she said.
"There's no storm and it's a hot day.
"I'd hate to think someone our town would do that, this close to Wodonga as well."
Firefighters accessed the fire, which occurred in steep rugged terrain, via McFarlands Hill Track.
Felltimber Creek Road resident John Robertson said he keeps a bag with packed with items, should he need to evacuate.
"I'm just keeping an eye on it in case the wind changes and we've got to get the kids out," he said.
"We've bought a whole heap of new hoses and we've left them around the yard just in case.
"We're surrounded by trees.
"We'd just take the important stuff and get out.
"You can always rebuild the house."
Mr Robertson was also concerned the fire was arson related.
"There's not a lot of lightning about, so you'd think someone's gone up there and lit something," he said.
Nearby resident Graham Hall said he had always been concerned a fire start would start on the hill.
"There's a lot of dead wood up there," he said.
"It's a nature conservation area, which is a good thing, but I've always been worried about someone lighting a fire.
"We're lucky the firies got onto it quickly and there's no wind."
