Firefighters are working through the night to control a bushfire that has burnt close to 3000 hectares of land in central Victoria and destroyed five houses.
A fuel reduction burn in Lancefield that jumped containment lines during hot and windy conditions has destroyed five houses, 19 sheds, two vehicles and farm equipment.
The destruction tally has been rising after fire investigators gained access on Friday to the burnt-out areas.
The Lancefield fire, which began on Tuesday, is still not fully contained but firefighters are making good progress, Emergency Management Victoria says.
"We aren't in the clear just yet," Emergency Management Victoria commissioner Craig Lapsley said on Friday.
The Country Fire Authority has contained two-thirds of the fire, with crews establishing a control line along the blaze's 61-kilometre perimeter that they will continue to work on for the next 24 hours.
Milder conditions on Friday made it possible for firefighters to gain the upper hand but the chance of a thunderstorm means lightning strikes could spark more fires.
While windy conditions have eased across the state, temperatures soared to 29C in Bendigo and up to 35C in the northwest, the State Control Centre says.
There is a watch and act message in place for Benloch, Pastoria East, Pastoria, Nulla Vale, Baynton, Baynton East, Sidonia and Emu Flat.
Premier Daniel Andrews has promised an independent review of the Lancefield fire and said residents have a right to be angry about how it got out of control.
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