Don't drive through fire, Rutherglen fire brigade says

And motorists are being urged to act appropriately around incidents, with members disappointed to see people continuing to drive on the Murray Valley Highway as the fire came through.

The blaze quickly spread last Saturday to a point where three homes were under threat.

More than 20 CFA appliances and private units brought it under control with no property or stock losses, however some crop and pasture and a large number of peppercorn trees were lost.

Rutherglen and Carlyle brigades were on scene well into Saturday night.

Rutherglen CFA community safety officer Natalie Keaveney said the fire was fast-moving due to the hot and windy conditions.

"It's quite a stark reminder of how quickly it can get out of control," she said.

"There were literally cars driving through it when flames were crossing the road.

"We were very grateful to private vehicle support units; farmers that were on scene first.

"They were there until about 9pm that night and were back on Sunday as it had sparked back up again in some peppercorn trees.

"It was quite confronting."

Ms Keaveney said with this fire, and the recent grass fire in Huon Creek near Wodonga, it was a timely reminder for landowners to ramp up their preparedness.

"It's about people taking being aware of their own risk levels and being proactive," she said.

"We're a volunteer organisation, we've all got 9 to 5 jobs and we do the best we can, but we can't always be there for everyone.

"So for people to be aware and to have an idea of their fire risk, where they can go and what they should do, that makes our job easier."

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CFA Chief Officer Jason Heffernan said that while this year's seasonal outlook indicated a lower risk of long-running bushfires than last year, grassfires remained a high risk.

"Grassfires can move at speeds of up to 25km/h and jump highways, so stay alert and be aware of grassfires when you're travelling."

North East residents should download the VicEmergency app.