Vic fires destroy 2nd house in 2 days

A house has reportedly been destroyed as a fire rages out of control north of Lancefield north of Melbourne.

The view of the Lancefield fire seen from Monegeetta

A bushfire threatening lives and property in Victoria started as a controlled burn, officials say. (AAP)

A house has been destroyed at Cobaw as a fire rages out-of-control in Victoria's Macedon Ranges.

The deputy incident controller for the fire, Lee Gleeson, told AAP the house in Three Chain Road, Cobaw, and a number of sheds have been lost as the fire rages north of Lancefield.

He says the fire has burned about 1500 hectares and is still out of control as a blustery southwesterly change approaches the area.

It's the second house destroyed in two days, after another was burned down in Wensleydale on Monday in a different fire.

About 200 firefighters are battling the Cobaw fire, which is still threatening homes north of Lancefield.

The fire began as a Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning controlled burn on public land last Wednesday.

It has twice broken containment lines, first on Saturday and again on Tuesday.

Debbie Garner, her husband and dog have evacuated from Benloch to Lancefield since a change of wind made the town safer late on Tuesday.

She wants DELWP held responsible for the fire that could destroy her Feeneys Lane home, and the cat and birds left behind.

"They started this and they really need to be held to account for this because they are ruining people's lives," Ms Garner told AAP.

A large fire-bombing aircraft carrying fire retardant chemicals has been flown from Sydney's Richmond RAAF base to assist ground crews.

From the incident room, Mr Gleeson said weather conditions, with temperatures well into the 30s and gusting, dry northerly winds, have been testing for firefighters.

"If it has been fine and 30C with less wind it wouldn't have been a problem," he told AAP.

"But when you have temperatures in the low 30s and relative humidity down to single digits, which you would normally only see in January and February or in desert areas, and winds of 30, 40, 50, 60km/h, it makes it difficult."

An emergency warning remains in place for Benloch and Nulla Vale, north of Lancefield, where residents of the Burke and Wills Track, Lancefield-Tooborac Road and Baynton Road are advised to seek shelter now.

Houses in Ashworths Road, Musk Gully Road, Whalans Track and Greenways Road are under direct threat.

Emergency warnings have also been issued for bushfires at Koorlong, near Mildura and Maryknoll, in west Gippsland.

Koorlong residents in Benetook Avenue, Twenty First Street and Whitecliff Avenues could be affected by the fire in the next hour or two, the CFA warms.

"Leaving now is the safest option, before conditions become too dangerous. Emergency Services may not be able to help if you decide to stay," the warning says.

Maryknoll residents have been ordered to take shelter now because it is no longer safe to leave.

A new emergency warning has been issued for the Tallarook bushfire near Seymour, north of Melbourne.

Residents of nearby Kerrisdale in Quamby Road, Fairview Road, Wentworth Road and King Parrot Creek Road between Richards Bridge and Goulburn Valley Highway are warned they are in immediate danger.

They have been told that leaving now is the safest option, before conditions become too dangerous.

Emergency warnings for Koorlong, near Mildura, and Maryknoll in West Gippsland have been downgraded to watch and act alerts.


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Source: AAP


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