The fire season had to come.

Victoria will burn until April.
By Catherine Best | January 03, 2008

VICTORIAN fire authorities are warning of a long, perilous bushfire season and say massive swathes of grassland in western and central Victoria are ready to burn.

After a run of 40-degree-plus temperatures and with eight bushfires burning, state fire services today declared extreme fire conditions would prevail at least until April.

Fire chiefs urged people to be prepared, warning the conditions posed a risk to homes in coastal and provincial areas and on Melbourne's fringe.

Acting Premier Rob Hulls said the Otways, the Dandenongs and the Macedon ranges were at high risk.
"These areas are very dry, and in many cases, of course, they are densely populated," he said.

"The hot and dry conditions could lead to very intense and also fast-moving fires in densely populated areas."

Victorians could expect even more extreme fire days this season and with blazes moving fast they must be prepared early, Mr Hulls said.

"We all remember the devastating effect of last year's bushfires.

"Initially ignited by massive lightning strikes, last year's fires grew to a series of 83 fires that burnt over 1.48 million hectares of land, destroying more than 51 homes and resulting in significant loss of livestock."

Late today, five fires continued to burn out of control in East Gippsland and three had been contained. The three fires causing most concern were around Buchan and at Lightning Track, north of Orbost.

Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) chief officer Ewan Waller said fire crews did not expect to have the blazes under control by the weekend, when temperatures in the mid 30s are forecast.