Rural families have been forced to flee their homes as an out of control grass fire burns north of Moyston near the Grampians.
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"There is a fast moving, out of control grassfire travelling in a southerly direction from Campbells Reef Road towards the Moyston township," the Country Fire Authority warnings have said.
Residents have in the area been advised to seek shelter indoors, as it is now too late to leave.
"You are in danger, act now to protect yourself. It is too late to leave. The safest option is to take shelter indoors immediately," the CFA said.
Road closures were currently in place Ararat and Halls Gap Road, near the Rhymney intersection, Moyston Willaura Road and the Moyston Great Western Road.
Victoria is facing its most severe fire danger so far this summer, with temperatures forecast to soar into the high 30s on Friday and Saturday.
Total fire bans have been put in place in every region, except East Gippsland.
Firefighters were called to their first fires of the day on Friday in East Gippsland, the Northern Grampians and Loddon areas.
Rhymney resident Teresa Tonks had packed up her two children and was already on the road to a safer place in Ararat.
She said the fire on the Moyston to Great Western Road several kilometres south of her property was clearly visible but seemed to be head in away from her
"The wind is not that bad out here yet but we are not taking any chances," she said.
Ms Tonks said the phone alerts had kept them informed through the day but having Optus as her phone carrier meant it was not automatically sent to her phone.
"I had to check every hour to get the updates but then we got this notification and said well it’s time to go," she said.
"We recognise every year there are two or three days where we simply have no choice but to pack up and leave."
Ms Tonks said she had uncaged her farm animals to give them a chance to flee across the paddocks if the fire came closer.
But their welfare and the impact of the fire on the community was in a sense up to the efforts of the CFA and the unknowable vagaries of the weather.
