A TEENAGER was taken to hospital after a bushfire burned dangerously close to cars and homes in Highton.

Firefighters battled 14ha of spot fires in grassland on the eastern fringe of Geelong Ring Rd near the Pigdons Rd overpass from about 4.30pm today.

The blaze, which police say was sparked by a truck’s exhaust pipe flicking out burning carbon along the freeway, came within a few metres of rear fences of homes.

media_camera CFA crews rushed to the scene.

media_camera The grass fire was alongside the Geelong Ring Road.

media_camera Concerned residents look on.

media_camera Fire crews stopped the fire spreading.

media_camera Traffic was almost at a standstill.

An Ambulance Victoria spokeswoman said a man in his late teens was treated for smoke inhalation and taken to the Geelong hospital in a stable condition.

Police Sergeant Leanne Rayner said there was no infrastructure damage in what she described as a “very, very, very lucky” situation.

“I was quite concerned, I was on Pigdons Rd and it was blowing easterly which is a little bit of a concern,” she said.

“It’s obviously quite lucky the truck cabin didn’t go up either.”

A number of road blocks were set up as traffic was brought nearly to a standstill.

Cars were initially diverted through Barrabool Rd before one lane was reopened on the Geelong Ring Road, and Pigdons Rd was also briefly blocked off.

Sgt Rayner said the fire was not being treated as suspicious, but the truck driver and his vehicle would be part of an “ongoing inquiry” from the Geelong Traffic Management Unit.

Concerned residents watched as firefighters worked to control the spread and stop the fire from reaching homes

The CFA issued an advice to Highton residents warning of multiple grass fires in the Pigdons Rd and Thornhill Rd area.