News Service from House Harris

Vic: State faces worst fire day since hellfire

MELBOURNE, Feb 27 AAP - Victorian fire authorities are preparing for a "grim" day of high temperatures, hot winds and a cool, dry change with lightning that could spread existing bushfires and spark new ones.

Temperatures are set to soar into the high 30s and low 40s across much of the state, with low humidity and a hot and dry north-northwesterly wind gusting up to 50km/h.

A strong southwesterly change will follow in the afternoon, potentially sending fires on a dangerously wide new front.

Dry lightning storms, especially in the west, could spark new blazes and further stretch weary firefighters.

A total fire ban has been declared across Victoria until midnight (AEDT) on Friday.

Department of Sustainability and Environment spokesman Geoff Russell said the conditions would be the worst since February 7, when 210 people died and more than 2,000 homes were lost.

"We're still treating this as a day of extreme fire danger. Let's not be fooled by this," Mr Russell told AAP.

"It is still a day when all Victorians need to be vigilant against fire and they need to have their bushfire survival plans well in hand, especially those near fire-prone areas.

"We still have four fires not yet controlled and another 12 fires contained but given the conditions, any one of those contained fires could breach control line or start to send embers off to start other fires.

"We're in for a pretty grim day, I would think."

The four fires still out of controlled are the two separate sections of the Kilmore East-Murrindindi complex, which has burned almost 250,000 hectares, the Bunyip Ridge fire southeast of Melbourne (26,000ha) and the Wilsons Promontory fire in south Gippsland (24,000ha).

Extra firefighters and aircraft are on standby with many national and state parks closed to the public because of the fire risk.

The Education Department has ordered 190 government schools and 146 children's centres to be closed on Friday as a precaution.

Mr Russell urged residents, especially those in high-risk areas, to enact their bushfire plans.

"They need to decide very early if they will stay and defend their property or leave and if they decide to leave they need to go as early as possible and not wait until they see flames in the distance, because that's far too late," he said.

"It's important that residents know they may receive little or not official warning of a fast approaching bushfire, so they really need to be vigilant themselves and help us to help them."