02.14 am, Thursday May 24 2012

Firefighters still battling Vic blazes

17:29 AEDT Tue Feb 24 2009
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Firefighters
Hundreds of firefighters continue to work to contain new blazes and protect homes.

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Firefighters are still battling blazes on Melbourne's eastern fringes and in central Victoria ahead of what could be another horror day on Friday.

The Country Fire Authority (CFA) has been able to downgrade urgent situations at Upwey in the Dandenong Ranges and at Daylesford northwest of Melbourne, but has warned residents to be alert.

Go to ninemsn's full bushfire coverage here

At Upwey, a fire that started in the Birdlands Reserve on Monday has been contained but the CFA has warned residents in adjacent areas to be on the lookout for flying embers in the tinder-dry conditions.

"Even though the fire is not currently posing a threat, the communities of Upwey north of Glenfern Rd need to be aware that fire activity in the area has increased and has the potential to impact directly," the CFA said.

CFA spokesman Kevin Monk said ground and air crews were working to prevent any spotting of the fire.

He said 400 firefighters were at Daylesford, 110km northwest of Melbourne, attempting to contain a forest fire spread over 2,800 hectares.

"We've got dozers working on that and that's where we may get some spots under the southerly conditions," Mr Monk told AAP.

"The conditions are so dry that it only takes a small spark and the fire can race off."

At Warburton, east of Melbourne, the threat eased after firefighters battled overnight to get on top of that blaze.

But Mr Monk warned that conditions were likely to deteriorate on Friday with temperatures tipped to top 38 degrees combined with strong northerly winds and a south-westerly change.

"Those conditions are always a concern for us and the possibility of new fires starting is a worry," Mr Monk said.

"People in the community really need to be on alert for the day."

Premier John Brumby said only rain can snuff out the fires.

He said it was a miracle the blaze threatening Upwey was contained with minimal damage to property.

"Last night was a miraculous effort really by the firefighters and they just did a fantastic job," he said.

Mr Brumby said Friday was going to be another bad day for firefighters, with scorching heat set to return as 1,000 kilometres of fire fronts continued to burn.

"(It's) nothing like February 7 in terms of temperature or wind but nevertheless we're looking at something at the top end of the 30s and in the north of the state the low 40s," he said.

Australia's growing bushfire aid appeals will be further boosted with two massive benefit concerts to be held simultaneously in Sydney and Melbourne on March 14.

Long disbanded groups are reuniting, a major cricket final is moving venue, and federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett will front Midnight Oil to help raise $4 million for bushfire victims.

Several international acts will also take time out from their busy tour schedules to play for free at the bushfire benefit concerts.

Kings of Leon and Coldplay will perform at the Sound Relief concerts at the MCG and the SCG while the Sheffield Shield final due to be held at the MCG on the same day will be moved to another venue.

Hunters and Collectors will re-form for the event along with Split Enz and Icehouse.

Tickets are $75 and will go on sale from Ticketek on March 4.

 

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