LUCKILY a passerby spotted a grassfire in Bolwarra at 12.44am yesterday and reported it with a call to triple zero.

The full force of local firefighting was quickly on the scene and contained the fire in some difficult conditions.

Portland, Heathmere, Gorae West, Cashmore, Heywood, Drumborg, Narrawong and Tyrendarra CFA brigades, including a dozer and three slip-on vehicles (light tankers) from Heywood Forest Fire Management responded to the scene located on Gorae Road, Bolwarra, between the rail line and Hawkins Lane.

It was three hours until the fire was controlled, and responders managed to contain it to 1.5 hectares.

Heywood CFA Deputy Group Officer and Incident Controller Casey Taylor said the fire had “a lot of potential”.

“We're just lucky that crews got there quick enough and were able to stop it spreading too fast,” he said.

“Yesterday's conditions were the worst I’ve seen in 15 years.

“It did have potential to really take off and spread.”

The cause of the grassfire is being investigated.