Despite cooler weather and huge defence by more than 6000 firefighters, Victoria was still struggling to bring huge fronts under control as darkness fell last night.

Tales of bravery emerging from Australia's worst bushfires since Black Saturday also highlighted a lack of public appreciation of the dangers.

Taxpayers have spent nearly $30 million targeting vandalism at schools in the past two years, while thieves have made off with items such as plastic guttering and wooden seats.

Homes "exploded" as a massive grassfire that started on Melbourne's northern fringe burned through regional areas, residents say.

Two people were rescued from a fire in a Wellington night shelter last night. The blaze broke out in an upstairs room of the Taranaki St property around 9.15pm.

Australia was burning again last night, with homes lost and flames licking at the outskirts of Melbourne as much of South Australia.

Fire ripped through a south Auckland house where hundreds of guests were gathering after a wedding this afternoon.

A second helicopter equipped with a monsoon bucket has been scrambled to help fire fighters tackle a spreading scrub fire near Kaipara.

Fire fighters are currently battling a large fire which has engulfed a warehouse in St Johns, Auckland.

A suspicious fire is burning about 10km south of the country's largest Kauri, Tane Mahuta.

When Australia burns, Northland firefighters are often called across the ditch to help douse the fires.

Two drivers have been cut out of their respective vehicles with the jaws of life following a head-on crash near Taupo this morning.

Weary Australian firefighters will soon be able to take a break as help makes its way across the Tasman.

Two people have been seriously burnt in several explosions and a fire at a rural property near Whangarei.

The death of a person in the south Auckland suburb of Flat Bush yesterday is not suspicious, police say.

The death of a person in south Auckland yesterday is being investigated by police.

A boat which caught fire off Waiheke Island this morning has been towed back to Auckland.

Investigators are picking through shards of glass and twisted metal to work out why a gas bottle exploded in Invercargill today, injuring two people

A male has died in a suspicious fire at a Northern Canterbury sleepout today, police say.

A remote house in the Marlborough Sounds burned to the ground this morning after a fire sparked by a brazier.

A fire in Ashburton gutted a local industrial building early this morning.

Fire crews in Gisborne are working to put out a blaze in an apartment building.

A boy who saved six family members in a house fire tragically died while trying to save a seventh person.