A long dry spell has increased the risk of grass fires in northern and western Victoria, the Country Fire Authority warns.
The CFA's latest grassland curing map shows grass in the Mallee and parts of the Wimmera and Northern Country districts has dried ahead of average, with large areas almost completely cured.
CFA state duty officer Brett Boatman said the conditions had forced the early declaration of the fire danger period in northern and western Victoria.
"The conditions in the north and west, particularly in the Mallee and the northern Wimmera, I think are a few weeks ahead of where they would normally be in an average season," he told AAP on Tuesday.
"The fire danger period in a number of municipalities in northern and western Victoria, in fact, started last night.
"That's a week or two ahead of what they normally have in that area, and the first fire-bombing helicopter commences service today at Sea Lake (in the southern Mallee)".
Mr Boatman said low rainfall has led to the early onset of the fire season.
"The early part of winter was quite OK for rainfall but then from August and into September they have had a real deficit in rainfall," he said.
"It's very much below average and, in some cases, the lowest on record."
Mr Boatman said dry conditions might have caused grass and crop growth to be less abundant than usual but he warned that there is plenty of fuel around.
"People need to prepare and plan for the fire season because, in a lot of cases, the warm weather is already on their doorstep," he said.
Grasslands north and west of Melbourne have begun to dry out but much of southwestern Victoria and Gippsland have a way to go.
"The southwest and Gippsland will take a little longer but that map will gradually change from green to orange," Mr Boatman said.
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