Fire crews are making the most of benign weather conditions as they race to manage a series of out-of-control blazes ahead of an expected heatwave.
Bushfires are burning uncontrolled in the Grampians National Park in Victoria's west, with Mooralla and Woohlpooer residents in the park's southwest told to leave while those immediately north in Glenisla and Hynes told to take shelter.
People along other parts of the park's western flank have been told to monitor conditions.
A fire continues to burn at the Little Desert National Park northwest of the Grampians blaze after claiming one home near the town of Dimboola, a second home further west and an event centre.
But benign weather conditions on Friday and Saturday offer firefighters an opportunity to get in and around the fires before an escalation in heat from Sunday, State Control Centre spokeswoman Reegan Key said.
"The next few days, hopefully we will have firefighters in the area working to support those communities and lessen the impacts as the fires are running now," she said.
"The focus will be very strongly on trying to minimise the potential impacts of those warmer days coming over the weekend and into next week."
Country Fire Authority volunteers are backburning between the western Victorian towns of Dunkeld and Cavendish to create fire breaks in the southern Grampians amid fears fires at either end of the park could meet.
Aircraft, bulldozers and ground crews are removing vegetation to create control lines to prevent fires from progressing while spraying down difficult to reach areas.
Private land along Victoria Range in the western flank of the Grampians remains at real risk after the fire has already burnt more than 10,000ha, Ms Key said.
But while the forecast on Sunday onwards points to the mercury surpassing 40C, she says authorities' concerns aren't as strong in the fire sense with the absence of winds.
"The fire does love heat and dry conditions, but it is when we see some significant winds you do see those fires take runs," she said.
