Fire fighters are now working in more favourable conditions as they battle to control blazes that have so far burned more than 6000 hectares in and around the Grampians National Park.
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Extreme weather in the Wimmera on Tuesday, February 13, created prime conditions for fires to spark, with the CFA issuing a catastrophic fire warning.
"The weather has changed ... its much cooler, and there is some rain about," said a Vic Emergency spokesperson.
"Conditions have improved dramatically.
"Yesterday, we had a really hot day with strong winds and dry lightning, and the combination of those three was what created that great fire risk."
On Wednesday, February 14, the Wimmera's fire danger rating has dropped to 'high' while the rest of Victoria has dropped to 'moderate'.
While homes have been lost to the fires, an exact count has not been made official as emergency services' attention remains on the fire.
The Vic Emergency spokesperson said firefighters are currently focussed on blacking out the blaze and dealing hazardous trees that have been damaged.
The areas of both fires have been downgraded to 'watch and act - leave now', including Northern Grampians and Dadswells Bridge as well as Lake Fyans, Pomonal, Bellfield and Halls Gap.
Several roads through the area remain closed including the Western Highway (Horsham to Ballarat), Pomonal Road, Ararat-Halls Gap Road (Moyston to Halls Gap), Stawell-Warracknabeal Road (Western Highway to Rupanyup) and Murtoa-Glenorchy Road.
John Hall
John is a news and sports journalist for the Wimmera Mail-Times, Stawell Times-News and Ararat Advertiser. He is a former apprentice mechanic who earned his bachelors degree in journalism from Macleay College in Sydney.
John is a news and sports journalist for the Wimmera Mail-Times, Stawell Times-News and Ararat Advertiser. He is a former apprentice mechanic who earned his bachelors degree in journalism from Macleay College in Sydney.
