Firefighters have been able to slow a blaze burning near Ballarat which earlier sparked an emergency warning.
The grass and scrub fire remained out of control after burning through about 40 hectares on Thursday afternoon and continued to spread south from Nash's Road at Buninyong.
"Firefighters have been able to slow the spread of the fire," Vic Emergency reported.
"Staying close to a building you can shelter in is the safest option as conditions can change suddenly."
The Country Fire Authority was first alerted at 2.35pm, but was burning some distance from suburbia.
A warning was issued for residents at Durham Lead and Scotsburn.
Scores of firefighters, backed by aircraft and bulldozers making firebreaks joined the battle.
A woman at Hillview Lodge Buninyong, north of the blaze, told AAP they were watching the smoke of the fire.
"We can see these huge plumes of smoke go from white to grey to black," she said by phone.
The temperature at Ballarat on Thursday reached close to 35C.
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