A body has been found in a bushfire area in Victoria where thousands of firefighters have been battling multiple blazes across the state.
Victoria Police on Sunday afternoon confirmed the remains were located in the Longwood bushfire area, round 100m from a vehicle off Yarck Road at Gobur.
The person is yet to be formally identified.
There are 32 active blazes across the state on Sunday, with 10 emergency-level fires in the northeast of particular concern. Authorities said thousands of firefighters were working through the day to contain them.
At least 300 buildings and more than 300,000 hectares of bush and farmland have been burned.
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allen warned residents the recovery process would be a "long one".
"We will see fires continue for some time across the state," she told reporters in Bendigo on Sunday.
"That is why we are not through the worst of this by a long way."
The federal government will make $19 million in disaster relief payments available on Wednesday for residents of Barkers Creek, Harcourt, Harcourt North, Longwood, Longwood East, Natimuk, Ravenswood South, Ruffy and Sutton Grange.
It will provide those who've suffered major damage to their home, serious injury, or loss of a loved one as a result of the bushfires a one-off payment of $1,000 per eligible adult and $400 per child.
"My message to Victorians is pretty simple: we've got your back, not just during this crisis but through the recovery as well," Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.
'This family is extremely lucky'
A family and their beloved cat have been rescued by a police helicopter as their regional Victorian was overrun by devastating fires ravaging the state.
The trio, two women and a 92-year-old man, bunkered down on their remote Caveat property, seeking safety in a shipping container on their land as fire swept through the area.
The family, who have lost their home, slept in their car on Friday night.
With no road access, police used a helicopter on Saturday morning to transport the group and their cat Grisha to Seymour.
One of the women, an 82-year-old, had her hair singed by the flames and was treated for burns to her hands.
The family slept in their car on Friday night. Source: Supplied / Victoria Police
"By no means do we encourage people to shelter in shipping containers however on this occasion all I can say is this family is extremely lucky," she said.
"It was good we were able to get in and get them out. We were glad we could provide assistance when they needed us."
A state of emergency has been declared for 20 local government areas.
'We thought our house was gone'
Several emergency level blazes were dotted across the state but firefighting efforts were concentrated on a huge blaze in Victoria's centre and another in the northeast, near the NSW border.
A blaze that ripped through Harcourt, northeast of Castlemaine in the Central Highlands, claimed at least 50 structures, including homes and businesses.
Bonnie and Remy Sowman were speechless as they looked upon the blackened ruins of their cafe, which held a special place in the Harcourt community.
The couple made the decision to pack their bags and leave both their home and business on Friday when the conditions began to change.
She described the day as a blur.
"We had a friend who posted some footage and it was bad along where we live. Most of the night we thought our house was gone," she told the Australian Associated Press.
They received news on Friday night that their home was safe but the situation was very different for their business.
"We're just grateful that we got out, everybody's safe," she said.
Firefighters are battling flames on multiple fronts. Source: AAP / Michael Currie
The danger is not over despite the Bureau of Meteorology forecasting milder weather on Sunday, with winds easing but changing direction.
Authorities on Sunday said the Harcourt fireground was 80 per cent contained.
CFA Chief Officer Jason Heffernan said conditions had eased but there was a long way to go before fires were brought under control.
— With additional reporting from the Australian Associated Press.
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