District six operations officer Mark Gunning said CFA crews had responded to a small number of fires near Stonyford and a significant number around Boorcan and Noorat.

Mr Gunning said it appeared the fires were originating in old wooden sleepers from passing trains.

“A lot of the spots require crews to walk in due to the terrain and that means carrying knapsacks to extinguish small fires,” he said.

Mr Gunning said the CFA wanted to see preventative steps put in place to stop a serious incident occurring and had contacted relevant authorities.

A V/Line spokeswoman said sleeper fires were something they took very seriously.

“V/Line immediately reports any fires or smouldering sleepers to the CFA and works with them, as part of any investigation into the cause,” she said.

“We have a strong working relationship with the CFA across regional Victoria and we want to ensure this continues.

“Safety is our number one priority and we regularly complete maintenance works on the line.”

There have been 14 reported instances of sleepers smouldering on the Warrnambool corridor this summer, with five of those have been in the Terang and Camperdown area.

Saturday has been declared a day of total fire ban in the south-west and firefighters and firefighting aircraft will be on standby across the region.

Hot and windy weather is forecast for the district with temperatures expected to reach up to 33 degrees in Warrnambool on Saturday with winds up to 40 kilometres per hour throughout the region, gusting up to 65 kilometres per hour.   

No fires can be lit or be allowed to remain alight in the open air tomorrow.

Forest Fire Management Victoria Far South West acting district manager Wesley Burns said fire risk conditions were high with the hot and windy conditions coming at a time “when the forests and parks are already very dry, as we have had less than average rainfall over the last three months.” 

“On Sunday, the temperature is expected to drop into the twenties, with the strong winds continuing, and the Fire Danger Rating to be high.” 

“In preparation for the weather on Saturday, an inter-agency Incident Management Team (IMT) will be in place at the Incident Control Centre in Heywood, covering the Far South West District.” 

The Country Fire Authority will also have incident control centres set up at Warrnambool and Colac on Saturday.

Mr Burns said having an IMT at Heywood in place on Saturday meant the team could quickly provide any necessary information to the community about incidents that might arise.

“All information delivered by an IMT is timely, relevant and tailored to assist community members make informed decisions about their safety,” he said.

“We’re urging anyone going camping this weekend, especially on Saturday, to stay informed about the weather and to be observant of what is happening around you when you are in the bush. 

“We strongly urge the community to consider the value of visiting local forests or parks during periods of high and extreme heat as they can be extremely dangerous under these conditions.

“Before heading out, make sure you plan ahead and have access to all the information you need.

“That includes campfires and all barbecues, including solid and liquid fuel barbecues, as well as unconventional heat sources such as rotisseries and portable grills. 

“Don’t let your campfire become a bushfire,” Mr Burns said.  

 A day of Total Fire Ban has also been declared on Saturday in the Mallee, Wimmera, Northern Country, North Central and Central (includes Melbourne and Geelong) district(s) of Victoria.    

For more information on campfire safety visit: https://www.ffm.vic.gov.au/permits-and-regulations/fire-restrictions-and-regulations