Fresh evacuation orders for dozens of towns ahead of 'catastrophic' fire conditions

Victorian residents told to "leave immediately" as crews battle two large blazes, with strong winds fanning flames and posing risk of a serious bushfire disaster.

Rural Victorians are flocking to emergency relief centres in northern parts of the state as two major bushfires continue to wreak havoc across the landscape.

A fire that started near the Hume Freeway in Longwood, north of Seymour, has claimed livestock and multiple structures and spread across 3000 kilometres.

A second major blaze near Wodonga is spreading from Mt Lawson State Park in a south-easterly direction along the NSW border.

LIVE UPDATE: CURRENT EMERGENCY WARNINGS

Catastrophic weather conditions today, including 90 km/h wind gusts and temperatures in the low-to-mid 40s, have fire authorities and the entire Victorian community on edge.

Overnight, there have been fresh evacuation warnings for communities surrounding the two major blazes, including:

• Longwood fire - Ancona, Bonnie Doon, Cathkin, Caveat, Dropmore, Fawcett, Ghin Ghin, Gobur, Highlands, Kanumbra, Kerrisdale, Killingworth, Koriella, Merton, Molesworth, Tarcombe, Terip Terip, Trawool, Whanregarwen, Whiteheads Creek, Woodfield, Yarck.

• Walwa fire -  Berringama, Bungil, Burrowye, Cudgewa, Cudgewa North, Granya, Guys Forest, Mount Alfred, Mount Alfred Gap, Pine Mountain, Shelley, Thologolong, Walwa.

Other emergency warnings are also currently in place surrounding the two fires, including "take shelter now" for areas where it's deemed too late to leave.

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Authorities have warned lives are "likely to be lost" if residents don't heed warnings to evacuate under catastrophic fire conditions gripping large parts of the state.

The South West, Wimmera, Northern Country, and Northern Central districts will have a "catastrophic" rating, with the rest of the state's fire danger rating "extreme".

"If a fire starts and takes hold, lives are likely to be lost," CFA Chief Officer Jason Heffernan said.

"Leave bushfire risk areas early in the morning or tonight.

"Inform your family and friends what your plans are to leave, where you have gone and how they can contact you."

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Those in impacted areas, including campgrounds, have been told to leave by 7am tomorrow.

Earlier today, Victoria's Acting Premier Ben Carroll issued a dire warning about what the state faced in the coming days, as crews battle multiple fires burning out of control.

"We are talking tomorrow of uncontrollable, unpredictable bushfires with a real risk of loss — loss of life and property," Carroll said.

"Catastrophic means catastrophic. Victoria is one of the most bushfire-prone areas in the world."

He urged people to comply with emergency services warnings and stay up to date.

"The best protection you can give your family is leaving early," he said.

The Bureau of Meteorology's Sarah Scully told Today that conditions in Victoria would deteriorate.

"Tomorrow is going to be a really peak fire danger day, with damaging winds across South Australia and Victoria and extreme to catastrophic fire dangers on the forecast," she said.

"We're expecting the next few days to continue to be really hot, and Melbourne's temperature goes up again to 41 degrees tomorrow, but then a strong cold front will finally flush that heat away."

Cooler temperatures are expected by the end of the weekend.

Up to 88 firefighters and about 70 aircraft, including a Black Hawk helicopter, are being deployed from NSW to assist crews on several fronts in Victoria.

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A total fire ban will be in place statewide, with hot, dry conditions and the risk of dry lightning.

"It will be unpredictable, uncontrollable, and fast-moving fires tomorrow," Emergency Management Commissioner Tim Wiebusch said.

You can read the latest advice and warnings here.

Dry lightning spurs on bushfires

Forecast bands of dry lightning across the state have sparked mini fires surrounding the Walwa and Longwood fires, CFA Chief Officer Jason Heffernan told 9News Melbourne.

Multiple small fires were also ignited by dry lightning in the eastern Gippsland region.

Firefighters and aircraft are also responding to uncontained fires north of Orbost.

Residents in Bete Bolong, Brodribb River, Corringle, Jarrahmond, Marlo, Newmerella, Orbost, Simpsons Creek, Waygara, Yalmy should motor conditions.

"Earlier this morning I spoke of the potential of dry lightning and fire-driven thunderstorms and additional lightning, well unfortunately throughout the course of the day that has actually happened," Heffernan said.

"A series of fires that have just taken off and taken hold in the Eastern Gippsland region again as a result of that dry lightning band."

Another bushfire was sparked east of Orbost, within State forest near Cabbage Tree.

"Crews and aircraft have been deployed and support crews are on the way," Fire Forest Management Victoria said in an update.

"There is currently no threat to you, but you should stay informed and plan for what you will do if the situation changes."

Longwood fire consumes 3000km of bushland

Strong south-westerly winds are fanning flames north of Melbourne, sparking evacuation warnings for more than two dozen towns.

The Longwood fire has now spread across 3000 kilometres and is burning across bushland in a southeasterly direction.

More than 400 firefighters are working to control the fire as it trends towards Lake Eildon.

Residents in Avenel, Dropmore, Highlands, Ruffy, Tarcombe, and Upton Hill have been urged to take immediate shelter.

Those south of the fire zone, in Cathkin, Caveat, Dropmore, Fawcett, Ghin Ghin, Gobur, Highlands, Kanumbra, Kerrisdale, Killingworth, Koriella, Merton, Molesworth, Tarcombe, Terip Terip, Trawool, Whanregarwen, Whiteheads Creek, Woodfield and Yarck should leave their homes immediately towards Seymour or Yea.

Residents in a large area east of the fire zone, including Euroa and Strathbogie, were told to evacuate just before 4pm as part of the blaze heads east towards Strathbogie State Forest and Bonnie Doon.

That area consists of Ancona, Barjarg, Boho South, Bonnie Doon, Creek Junction, Dry Creek, Euroa, Gobur, Gooram, Kanumbra, Kelvin View, Kithbrook, Lima East, Lima South, Maindample, Marraweeney, Merton, Sheans Creek, Strathbogie, Strathbogie North, Strathbogie South, Tallangallook, Too-rour and Woodfield.

The fire is also heading south towards the Goulburn River and south-west towards Highlands Road.

A watch and act warning has been issued for Alexandra, Bonnie Doon, Devils River, Eildon, Fawcett, Howes Creek, Karralika Heights, Koriella, Lake Eildon, Maindample, Maintongoon, Mansfield, Snobs Creek, Taylor Bay, Thornton, Whanregarwen, Woodfield.

Residents there should prepare their belongings to leave the area.

The bushfire is expected to continue to extend in a south-easterly direction towards Lake Eildon, the CFA said.

Residents in Avenel, Caveat, Dropmore, Highlands, Ruffy, Tarcombe, Terip Terip, Locksley, Longwood, Longwood East and Upton Hill were this morning urged to leave immediately towards Seymour.

Around 12.20pm, locals still in the area were told to take immediate shelter indoors as the fire spread.

Residents in Cathkin, Dropmore, Ghin Ghin, Gobur, Killingworth, Trawool, Whiteheads Creek and Yarck were told to evacuate.

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"It is recommended that you head towards Seymour or Yea. Do not leave in a northerly direction towards Longwood," the CFA warned.

The fire behaviour is expected to increase during the day and will affect communities south of the fire, VicEmergency warned.

The blaze has forced the closure of the Hume Freeway between Violet Town and Avenel.

Avenel-Longwood Road and Clarkes Road are open.

An emergency relief centre is open at Seymour Sports and Aquatics Centre on Pollard Street in Seymour.

A community meeting will be held at the centre's basketball stadium at 6pm today.

Wiebusch said two "structures" so far had been confirmed destroyed in the Longwood fire.

The structures were spotted from the air in deep bushland but had not undergone a closer inspection.

Wiebusch said it was not yet certain whether the structures were homes.

They are the only confirmed property losses so far.

New warning for second fire

A new "leave immediately" warning has been issued for the Walwa fire, as the blaze threatens to surround dozens of towns in its path.

An emergency warning has been issued for Beetoomba, Berringama, Colac Colac, Crawford Crossing, Cudgewa, Guys Forest, Koetong, Lucyvale, McNamara Crossing, Nariel Creek, Nariel Gap, Nariel Valley, Shelley, Staceys Bridge, Thowgla Valley and Willow Crossing.

The Murray Valley Highway is restricted to local access between Granya Road and Annandale Road, and between Lucyvale Road and Cudgewa Valley Road.

It is closed between Annandale Road and Lucyvale Road.

Residents in Beetoomba, Berringama, Bungil, Guys Forest, Koetong, Lucyvale, Nariel Valley, Shelley, and the Tallangatta Valley were urged to evacuate at 2pm.

Spotting is expected to occur around Koetong and Shelley and properties could be impacted, according to the CFA.

Earlier today, locals in Bungil, Burrowye, Guys Forest, Koetong, Mount Alfred, Mount Alfred Gap and Thologolong were also urged to leave immediately.

Several emergency centres are open for community members seeking relief from the heat, including the Upper Murray Event Centre at the Corryong Football Oval and Tallangatta Memorial Hall.

The blaze has burnt through Mt Lawson State Park for days now, spreading across more than 1200 hectares of land.

It is now spotting ahead into the private land around the Burrowye area.

Residents north of the Burrowye Fire Station are told to go north on Guys Forest Road on the Murray River Road towards Corryong.

Those south of the Burrowye Fire Station should go south on the Guys Forest Road towards Corryong.

Do not use Burrowye Road to go south to Koetong.

The Upper Murray Event Centre at the Corryong Football Oval is open for community members seeking relief from the heat.

Train services cancelled across the network

The fire danger in place in parts of Victoria tomorrow has seen the cancellation of V/Line services in the North Central, Northern Country, South West and Wimmera districts.

All services on the Albury, Ararat, Bendigo, Echuca, Maryborough, Seymour, Shepparton, Swan Hill and Warrnambool train lines for tomorrow have been cancelled.

There will be no coach replacement services.

Coach services that pass through the affected fire districts, including the North Central, North Country and South West districts, will also not operate, even in areas not affected by fire.

All coach services for the Wimmera region that are scheduled to arrive and depart from Ararat and Ballarat stations, along with the Adelaide to Bendigo coach services, are also cancelled.

An extreme heat timetable will be in place across the network.

Passengers are advised to check the V/Line website for the latest travel information.

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