KEY POINTS:
MELBOURNE - Victorian fire crews are racing against time building control lines around bushfires raging in the state's north east and Gippsland ahead of forecast extreme weather this weekend.
As the outbreaks continued to spread and merge overnight -- with fears they could merge into a super fire covering hundreds of thousands of hectares -- residents have been warned to stay alert and be ready to evacuate.
About 18 fires are spreading across state forest and the Alpine National Park in the north east and Gippsland region, with more than 150,000ha already burnt out.
At present, 2000 firefighters are being supported by 30 aircraft, 350 tankers and 88 bulldozers.
About 45 firefighters have arrived from New Zealand and are undergoing induction training, before being dispatched to the state's north east later today.
The army also is offering assistance, including fuel tankers to supply diesel for water tankers and bulldozers in the Mansfield-Whitfield region.
Townships at immediate risk include Kevington, Gaffneys Creek, Knockwood, A1 Mine Settlement, Cheshunt, Rose River, Tolmie and Whitfield.
Residents have been warned to prepare for possible ember showers and to shelter inside their homes if radiant heat becomes intense.
The biggest blaze is the Ovens fire, 10km west of Abbeyard, where more than 70,000ha of state forest have been destroyed.
Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) spokesman Kevin Monk said crews would spend today preparing for extreme weekend weather.
Bushfire experts are concerned the fires could combine into a 600,000-hectare "super fire" when winds and temperatures soar on Saturday.
Today warm conditions are expected, with winds forecast to swing around to the north, Mr Monk said.
Mr Monk said crews would focus on continuing to build control lines to protect properties north and south of the fires.
Country Fire Authority (CFA) chief fire officer Russell Rees urged people to decide as early as possible whether or not they would stay to defend their homes.
"What they shouldn't do is think, 'I'll wait and have a look and decide when it happens' and decide then because that's the most dangerous choice," he told the Nine Network today.
Mr Rees said crews would bolster their effort in the Gippsland area with up to 100 extra firetrucks and 1000 personnel brought in on Saturday to cope.
So far at least two houses and a shed have been lost in the fires but the DSE and CFA have received no reports of further property damage overnight.
Residents in many areas around the state, including Melbourne, may also expect to see and smell smoke over the coming week.
- AAP
