Victoria begins a weekend of dangerous bushfire weather with a hot, gusty day.
"We have had a baking period across Victoria where the fuels are now as dry as they can be in most parts of the state," Emergency Management Commissioner Craig Lapsley told reporters on Friday.
Total fire bans are in place on Friday for the Wimmera, South West, Central and North Central regions, affecting metropolitan Melbourne, Geelong, Ballarat, Colac, Warrnambool, Hamilton, Ararat, Horsham and Seymour.
But, in an unusual step, the Country Fire Authority has declared fire bans for the whole state on Saturday, with temperatures set to reach the low 40s and strong northwesterly winds bringing the worst bushfire conditions of the summer so far.
The heat will continue on Sunday ahead of a cool, gusty change.
Ambulance Victoria's Paul Holman said he is urging the community to take the threat presented by extreme heat seriously.
I"n terms of heat, heat kills. There's certainly the message from us, we see this every summer and we need to get out to the community to take this heat seriously," he said.
"Heat kills because we don't drink enough water. Heat kills because we don't respect it, and heat kills because we complacently leave our children in cars. So make sure we heed this weather. We are going into an extreme period."
Emergency Management Commissioner Craig Lapsley says fire crews are ready for a bad weekend.
"This is the conditions that you would expect in January or February. It's early," Mr Lapsley said.
"We've said it's an early fire season, so we will see significant weather through this late December period into Christmas and the New Year."
He said Victorians should plan early and decide where they will source fire and weather information for their own safety.
Premier Daniel Andrews urged Victorians to keep hydrated, especially if they have chronic or underlying medical conditions, and take care of their neighbours and loved ones as the heatwave hits.
