Update, Sunday 11am: CFA District 5 duty officer Robert Howell says the large fire that tore through bush and scrub near Dunkeld has now been listed as safe.
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"There are no longer any fire appliances on site," he said.
"Local CFA are liaising with the landowner to conduct some rehabilitation work."
The fire started about 1.15pm and tore through 55 hectares of bush and scrub near Dunkeld.
"The fire burnt primarily through grazing farm land," Mr Howell said.
"There were about 40 fire trucks on the scene at its peak."
Mr Howell said District 5 crews were now supporting the Heywood Incident Control Centre.
"We currently have three strike teams over there out of five," he said.
"We've got 15 odd trucks helping them at the moment. They will probably be requesting some sort of ongoing commitment to help them out for several days."
Update, Friday 8pm: A fire that tore through 55 hectares of bush and scrub near Dunkeld was deemed not suspicious.
While the cause of the blaze is still unknown, incident controller Henry Barton said there was no foul play suspected.
"We still don't exactly know the cause but we know it's not suspicious which is a good thing," he said.
"Crews on the fire ground were able to keep the fire within control lines when the wind change came through. Tonight they are actually having a feed and a break and a fresh crew will patrol tonight and then change again in the morning to continue to black out the area.
"The crews were out there all afternoon in these weather conditions and they did a fantastic effort."
Update, 5.56pm: Here's some footage from the fire.
Update 4.40pm: No lives or property has been lost in a 55-hectare bushfire west of Dunkeld.
Up to 150 firefighters and five aircraft tackled the blaze that spread across private properties on Friday afternoon.
Warrnambool incident controller Henry Barton said crews were gearing up for a wind change expected to push the fire east.
"We will continue with crews on scene throughout the night and again tomorrow," he said.
"We are preparing for a wind change between 7pm and 8pm tonight that will push the fire in a more easterly direction and are blacking out down the eastern flank of the fire as we speak.
"Extra crews are ready for when the wind change does come through."
Traffic management points have been lifted in the area.
"All roads are open in the area but a reminder there is still fire traffic with trucks and other emergency services assisting with the fire and there's smoke in the area," he said.
"All we've had is a bit of fencing lost in the fire, there's been no property or animal losses which is a great plus for our firefighters on the ground on such a challenging day.
"At this stage we're not sure what caused the fire."
Update, 4:15pm: A 55-hectare bushfire in Dunkeld has been brought under control.
A CFA spokeswoman told The Standard 36 trucks remain at the Bundol Road blaze, which has been contained.
"They have had some difficulty with access but the fire is contained," she said.
"It has burnt about 55 hectares but that's just an estimate. A watch and act message remains in place for Dunkeld, Moutajup, Karabea."
Update, 3pm: A watch and act message has been issued for Dunkeld, Moutajup, Karabeal.
The 54-hectare bushfire west of Dunkeld is not yet under control.
Vic Emergency issued the follow warning at 2.51pm:
"Don't wait, leaving now is the safest option - conditions may change and get worse very quickly. Emergency Services may not be able to help you if you decide to stay."
What you should do:
- Monitor changes to the situation. Increased wind speed, change in wind direction, smoke or poor visibility can indicate the situation is changing.
- If you are away from home, do not return.
If the situation changes or you feel unsafe you should leave:
- Take your pets, medications, mobile phone and charger.
- Travel to the home of family or friends that are away from the warning area.
Earlier 2pm: Emergency services have been dispatched to tackle an out-of-control 54-hectare fire west of Dunkeld.
More than 20 vehicles are responding to the blaze, which is travelling in a south-easterly direction toward the Glenelg Highway and Dunkeld-Cavendish Road.
Incident controller Henry Barton said there were 25 firefighting tankers working on the fire alongside four aircraft.
"We also have a large tanker coming from Avalon to assist us with that fire fight," he said.
"There are road closures in place on the Glenelg Highway and Dunkeld-Cavendish Road. We have also notified the education department because I believe the schools in Dunkeld were finishing today at 2.30pm, so they've been advised for the bus routes."
The bushfire was reported about 1.15pm on Friday.
At 3pm it was not yet under control.
"There are currently no threats to communities but citizens should definitely continue to monitor the conditions and stay informed," Mr Barton said.
"There are very strong winds which are pushing the fire faster than the tankers are able to keep up with it at the present time but with the assistance of the aircraft we hope to keep it to a minimum."
Attending brigades include Ararat, Cavendish, Dunkeld, North Hamilton, Penshurst, Bulart and Winslow and Yarpturk,
The fire danger rating is set from very high to extreme across all regions with Friday declared a Total Fire Ban for the whole state.
Emergency Victoria have stressed the need to be bushfire ready, preparing and cleaning properties and developing an escape plan.
More to come.
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