Country Fire Authority south-west assistant chief officer Rohan Luke said the fires that ignited about 9pm on Saturday during winds of about 90 kilometres an hour were also some of the most difficult for firefighters to fight.

“You are chasing fires in the dark in extreme weather,” Mr Luke said.

He said there had been significant progress made in combating the fires on Sunday and all were being kept within their containment lines at about 5.30pm.

He said the strong winds that blew throughout Sunday were expected to abate on Sunday evening.

Mr Rohan said the damage toll was at least 18 homes, about 14,000 hectares, more than 40 sheds and significant losses of livestock and fences.

The Terang fire was estimated to have burnt 6700 hectares, the Garvoc fire 3765ha, the Gazette fire 2964ha and the Camperdown fires 311ha.

The CFA is investigating whether a number of fires linked up to create the Terang fire that threatened Cobden from the west.

Mr Luke said the CFA had received multiple calls at different locations throughout the Terang fire area before its entire area was later mapped.

He said the Terang fire raced along a 20 kilometre south-west path from Terang to near Glenfyne, west of Cobden.

Mr Luke said the fires were not being treated as suspicious.