Fire crews have put up "a hell of a fight" to contain a blaze that destroyed a house as it raced through grass and scrub near Kyneton in central Victoria, a senior CFA firefighter says.
The CFA says the fire at Edgecombe, north of Kyneton, was contained about 6pm on Tuesday, three hours after it was sparked.
All occupants have been located safe and well.
The fire has blackened 104 hectares and razed a house at a winery at Edgecombe.
The CFA has downgraded an earlier emergency warning to watch and act level for the towns of Edgecombe, Woodleigh Heights and Bald Hill.
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But it now also includes Metcalfe East, Sidonia, Pastoria, Pastoria East, Baynton, Langley and Benloch ahead of a southwesterly wind change expected in the area between 7pm and 8pm.
Despite the loss of the house, CFA Loddon Mallee regional controller Mark Gilmore praised the 160 firefighters and six aircraft crews who battled to contain the fire.
"They put up a hell of a fight. It went ahead really strongly. It was a fast-running grass fire that hit a patch of bush very early, and that caused spot fires that went downwind and back into grassland, so it went really fast," he told AAP.
"And we're very happy to report that no firefighters or anyone else were injured."
The fire is burning actively within containment lines, Mr Gilmore said.
The southwest wind change will blow smoke northeast as far as Heathcote, 50km away, during the night.
Residents in the watch and act zone are warned that although the immediate threat from the fire has passed, they should stay informed and monitor conditions in case they change again.
"We have 7km of containment lines build around the fire, and we're just bracing for that wind change," Mr Gilmore said.
A community relief centre has been established at the Kyneton racecourse.
