A deliberately lit grass fire in Melbourne has been extinguished as Victoria faces some of the worst fire weather in its history.
The grass and scrub fire was noticed about 12.30am (AEDT) today on the foreshore at Chelsea, in Melbourne's southeast.
The fire burned about one hectare before firefighters put out the blaze.
Police Senior Constable Marty Beveridge said the fire was deliberately lit.
"Fires don't just happen on the foreshore like that unless people start them," Sen Const Beveridge said.
Savage winds, dry conditions and four bushfires still raging could combine to cause a new fire threat to match the appalling Ash Wednesday and Black Friday firestorms, authorities fear.
Are you in a storm area? Send us your stories and photos
Emergency service already sorely tested by the February 7 bushfires, the worst in Australia's history, will today confront a hot north-northwesterly wind gusting over 100kph in many areas.
(Watch more: Police warn millions by text)
A cool change will sweep across the state from late morning, swinging the wind hard to the southwest at up to 70kph, in a classic Victorian bushfire scenario that caused most loss of life on Ash Wednesday in 1983 and on Black Saturday, in which at least 210 people were killed.
The change will hit fire-ravaged central regions of the state by early evening.
Up to 5000 people, including firefighters and SES personnel, are on high alert as winds gather pace early today.
"The temperature are milder than those on Black Saturday but those wind gusts may be stronger than what was experienced on that day," DSE spokesman James Todd said.
"Winds are our main concern at the moment, coupled with the dry condition and the fact that the fires are burning in steep, difficult terrain."
Fire crews rested overnight, with days of backburning and containment line construction behind them and potentially one of the worst bushfire days in Victoria's history ahead.
(Watch more: Kinglake survivors frustrated)
"This is an extreme fire day. We have the message out to some communities, particularly those in the Yarra Valley and the Warburton Valley and areas south of Eildon, about the threat and warning them to stay on high alert," Mr Todd said.
"The winds will bring their own problems quite apart from the fires.
"We're expecting impact on trees and powerlines. There may be power outages and there may be a lot of debris and falling trees and limbs in areas that have already been burnt.
"We'll just have to see how it all unfolds."
On Monday, Premier John Brumby said the weather was "unprecedented" and warned Tuesday's conditions were "up there with the very worst".
"We've got more people on the ground, more tankers, more resources, more people from interstate, more aerial appliances than we've ever had in the history of the state," Mr Brumby said.
Conditions could be so extreme that firefighters could be moved off the frontline early, and firefighting aircraft may not be able to fly, DSE chief officer Ewan Waller warned.
The search for those still missing after the February 7 fires will be suspended on safety grounds.
A total fire ban is in place throughout the state today.
Four fires were this morning still out of control, with four more large blazes burning within containment lines.
The giant Kilmore-Murrindindi North Complex is posing the most concern, particularly to the communities of Woods Point, Jamieson, Eildon and Mt Buller.
The Kilmore-Murrindindi South, Bunyip and Wilson's Promontory blazes are also continuing to burn, but authorities warn the fire threat exists across the entire state.
Most people in Warburton are thought to have left the town after living on edge for three weeks since February 7.
Front page
RSS Feed