Victoria is bracing for a return to high-risk bushfire conditions but authorities stress the season is unlikely to match devastation witnessed in the northern hemisphere.
The seasonal bushfire outlook for spring indicates Victoria returning to normal conditions after three wet La Nina years.
The outlook forecasts an earlier start to the fire season in the central, western and northern parts of the state, with authorities urging landowners to start preparing.
"It is time to mow your lawns, it is time to clear your gutters, it is time to take care of your properties," Emergency Services Minister Jaclyn Symes said on Wednesday.
Ms Symes recently met state and territory counterparts as well as federal Emergency Management Minister Murray Watt.
The leaders were told the spring bushfire outlook was not catastrophic, unlike the scenes that unfolded in Canada, Hawaii and Greece during their most recent summer.
"We know that the images from the northern hemisphere have got people anxious," Ms Symes said.
"It is not anticipated to be like another Black Saturday."
The Bureau of Meteorology continues to hold off declaring an El Nino despite other agencies announcing the weather event was under way months ago.
El Nino events typically deliver drier conditions for much of the country, but particularly eastern Australia, as well as above average temperatures.
There have been major bushfires in the Northern Territory and significant early-season fire activity in Queensland, while Sydney has been blanketed in smoke for several days from hazard reduction burns.
Ms Symes said Victorian emergency services continued to prepare for the worst despite its risk profile being lower than other parts of the country.
"Fortunately for us - and even more fortunately for Tasmania - is that the level of risk for our state is not same level as it is for our northern states, particularly Queensland and NSW," she said.
"They have a lot more red on their maps at the moment, which indicates they have higher risk as opposed to us."
Victoria was hit by major flooding last year, inundating homes and properties in Melbourne as well as north and central parts of the state.
Newly appointed Emergency Management Commissioner Rick Nugent said he was keen to look at recommendations from a parliamentary inquiry into the floods, as public hearings continued in Shepparton on Wednesday.
