The CFA has rated the level of fire danger across the Ararat Rural City municipality as Severe.

Total Fire Bans have also been declared for the Mallee, Wimmera, Northern Country, North Central and Central fire weather districts.

Ararat is forecast to hit 32 degrees on Tuesday before a south-westerly change sweeps in and drops the temperature dramatically.

The town has already experienced two days above 30 degrees this month, making it the hottest start to October on record.

CFA Chief Officer Euan Ferguson said with temperatures expected to reach mid to high 30s across most of the state, combined with strong winds, a large part of Victoria is facing significant risk of fire.

“While we experienced a lot of rain over winter, there was not enough rain to soak the ground so many areas are quite dry and ready to burn,” he said.

“Grass is beginning to dry rapidly across the state and the forests are very dry which is our greatest concern at the moment.

“The bureau has predicted strong gusty winds with a possible south-westerly change which poses issues to any fires still burning from the past few days.

“Any residents who have recently conducted burn-offs on their land need to ensure they are extinguished.

“It’s important Victorians are vigilant and well prepared – any fire which starts will be difficult to control.

“Have a plan in place and don’t rely on just one source of information. The forests are the biggest risk at the moment so residents near those areas need to be extra vigilant.”

Victorians are urged to visit the CFA website’s can and can’t do page to get familiar with the rules around what was permitted on a day of total fire ban.

Information can be found via multiple sources: