Residents vacate homes in Victorian coastal towns amid fears of spreading bushfires

Emergency services are preparing for a return of the nightmare conditions that saw fire tear through Wye River and Separation Creek on Christmas Day, destroying 116 homes.

A cool change is expected to pass through the area in the afternoon and the wind should shift south, but no rain is expected.

More than 100 residents from the Kennett River, Grey River and Wongarra areas were evacuated due to bushfire threats but returned home at about 9pm yesterday evening.

The fire is not yet under control, but it also didn’t move much on Friday.

Drought conditions and moderate winds are fuelling the fires further along Great Ocean Rd, south of Melbourne.

Hundreds of firefighters are battling the Surf Coast bushfire and more than 500 have been deployed to tackle the Wye River and Lorne wildfires, according to Herald Sun.

“Sixty aircraft on the one fire is among the most we’ve ever had and that shows the level of risk of this fire”, he said.

Incident controller Alistair Drayton said several hotspots could flare up.

“We’ve unfortunately lost a number of structures (on Christmas Day) but life is paramount”.

The Otways fire is deep-seated in thick forest, putting out significant heat under the forest canopy and will burn for weeks, Mr Lapsley warned.

Mr O’Connor said a second contingent of 22 firefighters would leave on 11 January to bolster New Zealand’s contribution.

NEW Year’s Eve fireworks could be cancelled in areas of Victoria and South Australia as the states brace for hot and windy weather and total fire bans.

“The change will move across the state and there will be fires pop up across the state”.

But Buffone said the larger holiday towns were not now in the fire’s path, and it was unlikely it would reach Lorne.

“It’s still a time to be very vigilant about fires in Victoria today and certainly in northern Victoria tomorrow, because the temperatures will stay up”, he said.