There are total fire bans in three regions across the state today, in force in the Central, South-West and Wimmera districts.
This means people in these districts cannot light a fire, or allow a fire to remain lit in the open air from 12.01am until 11.59pm on Wednesday.
During the ban, there are restrictions on the use of barbecues and outdoor cooking, fire pits and campfires, welding or grinding, and gas-powered wildlife scaring guns. The full list of restrictions can be found here.
Meanwhile, a fire is still burning in the state’s northeast at Thologolong, on the border with NSW close to Wodonga, which has now burnt 814 hectares.
A spokeswoman at the State Control Fire said crews had contended with escalating fire activity on the western flank of the blaze on Tuesday.
While there was little fire activity overnight into Wednesday, a northerly wind change expected later on Wednesday was causing concern.
“There is plenty of steep, rock terrain, with limited access track through there making it difficult for crews … it’s a dynamic situation,” she said.
“We have aircraft on scene today, as well as Forest Fire Management Victoria, conducting containment efforts and starting asset protection.”
Residents near the fire are being urged to keep up to date with VicEmergency warnings and emergency broadcasting stations.
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Despite the heat, fire danger ratings are not rising to extreme levels.
Fortuitously, only two of the four horsemen of the bushfire apocalypse – heat and fuel – are up and riding across the landscape this summer.
Without the other two ingredients of catastrophic bushfires – drought and hot winds – we are unlikely to see a repeat of the gigantic fire front that swept through vast swathes of the eastern seaboard in 2019-20.
Read Mike Foley’s full analysis of Australia’s bushfire danger here.