Smoke haze hangs over city
The smoke haze over Melbourne is expected to clear as crews continue backburning in the state's bushfire zones.
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Fire authorities say they’re confident of controlling a fast-moving grassfire that’s threatened homes in central Victoria.
An emergency warning was in place for parts of the town as the blaze approached Darraweit Road area at Wallan, 50 kilometres north of Melbourne, this afternoon.
But the warning was later downgraded to a watch and act advice.
Deputy incident controller Greg Murphy said the CFA hoped to downgrade the emergency warning to a watch and act message soon, as dozens of firefighters on the scene had slowed the blaze.
Mr Murphy said 35 fire trucks and three aircraft had battled the fire, which had burned about 40 hectares.
He warned residents north of the fire to stay vigilant to ensure spot fires did not threaten their homes.
• The smoke haze that greeted Melbourne on Monday morning is expected to clear as crews continue backburning in the state's bushfire zones.
The fire in the Gippsland region has now burnt out 59,000 hectares.
And the weather is expected to heat up again later this week, with temperatures in Melbourne forecast to reach 37 on Thursday and 29 on Friday. Similar temperatures are forecast for Gippsland.
"The size of the fire if it was in Melbourne would be from the airport to Clayton," a spokesman for the state bushfire control centre said.
Several homes and properties have been destroyed in the fires, which began in the Baw Baw National Park on Thursday.
One man was killed in his car in Seaton on Friday while the fires raged.
The Bureau of Meteorology expects the smoke haze across the city to clear by Monday afternoon.
Ambulance Victoria operations manager Paul Holman advised Melburnians to avoid outdoor exercise and for those with respiratory illnesses to remain indoors as much as possible.
‘‘It could affect people who do not normally have respiratory problems,’’ he said of the bushfire smoke.
The Country Fire Authority has reminded people to reduce speeds when driving on smoke-affected roads.
Fire crews are focusing on a 180-hectare backburn south of Glenmaggie.
The control centre spokesman said that the haze from the backburn would be visible across several communities.
Residents from Seaton, Glenmaggie and Glenmaggie Point have been allowed to return home.
The previously cut-off Licola Road has also been opened up from the Heyfield to Kellehers road intersection to local residents.
With AAP
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