Homes destroyed by Victorian bushfire

MELBOURNE - An Australian firefighter was injured overnight when he fell down a mineshaft while battling a major bushfire threatening a string of towns in Victoria's west.

Towns including Stawell and Ararat have been put on high alert today as the out of control fire rages near Stawell.

The 25-year-old volunteer fireman from Buninyong, near Ballarat, fell down the mineshaft in the dark in bush west of Stawell some time after 1am NZT last night, a Country Fire Authority spokesman said today.

He was taken to Stawell Hospital suffering cuts and remained there in a stable condition, a hospital spokeswoman said.

The fire -- first reported about 7.20pm NZT yesterday in the Illawarra State Forest at Deep Lead, near Stawell, about 240 km west of Melbourne -- has now burned more than 5000ha.

It has destroyed five houses and damaged other properties, the spokesman said.

Now burning to the south and west of Stawell on a 1.5 km front, it has travelled 12 km.

The Country Fire Authority (CFA) has warned residents of Stawell, Ararat, Pomonal, Halls Gap, Armstrong, Great Western and Moyston that their communities could be threatened by the fire overnight.

A gusty south-westerly wind change expected today could put Ararat and Stawell in the path of the fire, the spokesman said.

A refuge centre opened at the Stawell Leisure Centre late last night.

"The refuge centre is for anyone who has made the decision to leave their homes for who feel they can't defend their home or who feel that physically or emotionally they are not up to staying," the spokesman said.

"It's quite a draining experience."

Ararat and Stawell are large regional centres on the Western Highway, the main road link between Melbourne and Adelaide.

Both have a population of about 8000.

Temperatures soared well above 40degC across Victoria yesterday.

A total fireban was in force across most of Victoria yesterday and will remain in place until midnight local time tonight.

- AAP