Victorians have been warned to prepare for an early fire season after hot and windy weather fuelled dozens of fires across the state.
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Emergency services battled 40 grass and scrub fires on Friday – the worst day so far this summer – as very high fire ratings were issued to residents in central, south-west and north-western parts of Victoria.
On Friday afternoon firefighters fought a blaze that came within metres of a housing estate in Torquay, while in Pomborneit in the state's south-west 10 tankers were called to extinguish fire in dry bushland.
"It has certainly kept our crews on edge," a Country Fire Authority spokesman said. "It's a taste for summer... we don't know what's around the corner."
Most fires are believed to have been started by cigarette butts or slashing in paddocks, and were contained quickly. No property or livestock was lost.
The weather bureau said hot and gusty conditions hampered firefighting efforts on Friday, with temperatures peaking above 30 degrees in most locations.
"We've seen the temperature around 10 to 12 degrees above the average and we've got fresh winds with strengths around 30 to 50 km/h," Senior forecaster Richard Carlyon said.
The highest temperature – 38 degrees – was recorded in Mildura just after 3pm, and Melbourne peaked at 32.9 degrees at 4.30pm.
Fire danger ratings are high in the north, north-east and Gippsland regions and very high in central Victoria, the Mallee, Wimmera and south-west.
CFA chief officer Euan Ferguson urged Victorians to prepare their properties for the fire season, practice an evacuation plan and regularly check conditions in their district over summer.
"We live in one of the most fire-prone regions in the world, so no matter where you live it is never too soon to start preparing," he said.
Mr Ferguson said people should slash and mow their properties, and create fuel breaks by removing all vegetation down to the soil. He said grassland areas with overgrown brown or golden-coloured grass more than 10 cm high was a bushfire risk.
But he urged people to take care while burning off and to register the burn with the Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority on 1800 668 511.
