Vic fire damage slows return home for some

While some Wye River residents have returned home after safety inspections were completed, others may face a wait because of the risk of landslides.

Smoke from the Otways bushfire rises over the Split Point Lighthouse

People who lost properties in a blaze on Victoria's surf coast will find out when they can return. (AAP)

Some people forced to flee a Christmas Day bushfire on Victoria's surf coast may have to wait before they can return to their homes because of the risk of landslides.

The destructive bushfire claimed 116 homes in Wye River and Separation Creek on Christmas Day and continues to burn out of control in dense bushland.

Teams are assessing the damaged areas for asbestos from damaged cement sheet roofing, septic tank damage, dangerous trees and risk of landslides in the steep terrain.

Permanent residents in the south of Wye River got the all-clear to return home on Sunday.

But assessments to be completed by Monday morning at the latest may prevent some from heading home, incident controller Alistair Drayton said.

"There are some homes that are completely unaffected from below that might be uninhabitable because of the risk of landslides from above," Mr Drayton told AAP.

Hundreds of metres of temporary fencing will be rolled out to prevent access as danger areas are cleaned up and made safe.

Damp, humid weather has reduced fire activity but created slippery conditions for fire crews and a thick fog that reduced visibility to about 10 metres in higher parts of the fire ground.

Those conditions may persist for days, with a few millimetres of rain also expected on Monday, Mr Drayton said.

"We're in a bit of a holding pattern right now. The damp weather will be a challenge," he said.

Twenty-two New Zealand firefighters arrived on Sunday and will work beside local crews fighting the fire and building containment lines.

They join around a dozen incident control experts from NSW.

Meanwhile, hundreds attended a concert in Lorne on Sunday which raised funds for victims of the Great Ocean Road fires.


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Source: AAP



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