IN VICTORIA, an emergency warning is in place tonight in the Chepstowe area, where a grass fire is moving fast in a north-easterly direction.
At 5pm, the CFA warned lives and homes were at threat as a fast-moving grass fire burned out of control on the outskirts of Ballarat.
The fast-moving 50 hectare grass fire is travelling in a north-easterly direction and is expected to have an immediate impact as it heads towards the Beaufort-Carnghan and Station Lane in the Chepstowe area, the CFA said.
The Western Highway is closed between Ballarat and Ararat and there are reports that the sky has turned red and that the fire has already destroyed one house near Chepstowe.
Another fast-moving bushfire is burning near the Victorian town of Goroke. The Country Fire Authority has issued a watch and act alert for Goroke, Gymbowen and Tooan, in the Wimmera region in Victoria's west.
Deans Gap fire south of Nowra. Picture: Dan Himbrechts
The fire is about 120 hectares in size and is out-of-control, creating spot-fires, the alert said.
The fire is in bushland about 17km south east of the Goroke area and is expected to impact grassland in Goroke, Gymbowen, Tooan before 6.30pm (AEDT) tonight.
Meanwhile fewer extra firefighters are available to tackle the blaze near Cooma in southern NSW, as the physical and mental stress takes its toll.
NSW Rural Fire Services fire mitigation officer Fred Nicholls says there are up to 70 firefighters on the ground tackling the blaze in the Kybean Valley.
A CFA crew tackle the fire in Sunbury. Picture: Kris Reichl
"We are starting to run short on extras, we have had four days of this now," Inspector Nicholls said. "Crews will be starting to get tired."
Also three youths are in police custody after a suspicious fire in Sydney's west.
Firefighters have contained the blaze in Shalvey, near Blacktown, which affected about 10 hectares of bushland on Tuesday, a Rural Fire Service (RFS) spokesman said.
Earlier this afternoon, firefighters said a bushfire was burning out of control at Deans Gap near Nowra, and described the blaze as "running very hard''.
A fire burns near Ean Higgins property at Kydra River in Southern NSW.
Earlier, new fire warnings were issued for blazes at Cobbler Road, Jugiong and Sand Hills in Palerang where isolated properties remain at risk.
An RFS spokesman said firefighters were aerially water bombing the fire front from the northern side. Main Road 92 is closed between Braidwood and Nowra as a result, he said, with the blaze too dangerous to attack from the front.
A fire emergency warning has been issued after a fire burnt 80 hectares near the intersection of the Sturt Highway and Wokolena Road at Alfredtown, east of Wagga Wagga in NSW.
Dozens of homes remain under threat as NSW firefighters battle 135 blazes in 40-plus temperatures and "catastrophic" conditions. The worst fires are in the south of the state, near Cooma, Nowra, Bega and Wagga.
But although 40 remained uncontained, by mid-afternoon, there had been no reports of loss of life or homes as residents heeded dire warnings from authorities.
Hundreds of firefighters were in the field, with thousands more on standby, as temperatures climbed and the fires, fanned by winds over 70 km/h, burned more than 26,000 hectares of grass, scrub and bushland.
Thirty homes were threatened by a fire 12km east of Cooma - 20 in the Kybeyan Valley and 10 around Mount Forest Road in the Cooma-Monaro area.
A fire on the south coast at Brogo, near Bega, was expected to affect isolated properties north of Eagles Nest Road.
Jess posted this image of the Yarrabin fire on Twitter: View of the #Yarrabin fire from Cooma #NSWfires. Picture: Jess@Aristophania/Twitter
Bega was the first place in the state to top 40 degrees Celsius today, but a southerly wind change at about 3.30pm (AEDT) has resulted in temperatures dropping to the mid-20s.
Michael Clunie, who works for Forests NSW, was ordered out of the Bomballa State Forrest in the morning when the temperature topped 41 Celsius.
It's a relief," he said of the southerly. "People were worried about the whole area."
The change is moving north up the coast and is expected to reach Sydney before midnight tonight.
Firefighters are also on the scene of a fire at a Westfield Shopping Centre in Liverpool where 200 people were evacuated from the blaze.
The fire at Tarcutta which he said earlier had been burning "running hard'', has now eased though some isolated properties remain at risk. Earlier, a fire emergency warning had been issued for Tarcutta with residents urged to take shelter as it was too dangerous to leave the area.
Early on this afternoon, about a dozen people are gathered at the Tarcutta RSL and Citizens Club, after a bushfire cut off their planned escape route.
He said he was not too concerned about the fire near Leeton at Narrandera because it was headed towards a lake.
The Ryans Rd fire in the Lockhart region that was impacting Henty, has been contained and downgraded to watch and act status.
The NSWRFS posted this image on Facebook from a Line Scan aircraft, showing the Yarrabin fire in the Cooma area. The red and yellow sections show the most intense part of the fire, burning quickly through grassland.
A fire emergency warning has been issued after a number of blazes began along the railway line at Bogan Gate, west of Parkes in NSW.
A large bushfire in Victoria's southwest is expected to continue burning out of control through tomorrow as the state positions firefighters near the border to help NSW in its fire battle.
A blaze at Kentbruck has burnt though 9000 hectares, and a westerly wind has forced the fire back on itself.
Fire Services Commissioner Craig Lapsley said southwesterly winds were expected later today, which would push the blaze towards the Princes Highway close to Dartmoor. The fire was not expected to hit Dartmoor directly, but the town was on the highest alert, he said.
Adam Marsters posted this image of the NSWRFS state opeartions centre in Sydney on Twitter. Picture: Potter Media
"We don't believe this fire will be controlled today. This will reach into tomorrow due to the conditions in southwestern Victoria,'' Mr Lapsley said.
Meanwhile, a bushfire in Central Australia has forced a major resort to evacuate guests to a safe area for several hours.
Guests at the Kings Canyon resort, about 300 kilometres southwest of Alice Springs, have had a restless night, after a bushfire threatened the area.
It is also believed that the Lilla Aboriginal community has been evacuated as a precaution.
Although that fire was contained, a number of other blazes in the area continued to burn.
Mr Kenna said Lurita Road, which leads to the Watarrka National Park where King's Canyon is located, had been cut off by fire.
A bushfire emergency warning for Mathinna in northeast Tasmania has also been downgraded to watch and act status.
In NSW Police have charged a man with breaching the total fire ban in the Illawarra region after he allegedly lit a cooking fire.
The NSWRFS also posted this Facebook image of a grass fire 30km north east of Conargo that has so far burnt 1000ha and is moving towards the township of Jerilderie.
The man was arrested and issued a court attendance notice for failing to comply with a government-ordered fire ban. He is due to appear at Port Kembla Local Court on April 4.
In Victoria, a grass fire has burnt the fences of several Sunbury homes in Melbourne's northwest.
A State Control Centre spokeswoman said the blaze covered eight hectares around Moore Road and Baggy Green Street, Sunbury.
"There are fences on fire,'' she said. "There are a number of houses at potential risk.''
An aerial photograph of the Yarrabin fire burning in the Cooma Monaro area. Picture: NSW RFS
The blaze began about 1pm (AEDT) and 17 fire trucks were on scene. The fire was contained shortly after 2.30pm and the initial emergency warning has been downgraded.
Meanwhile, communities in the path of a destructive southeast Tasmanian bushfire are being told it is too late for people to leave.
The Tasman Peninsula blaze is threatening the small bayside towns of Eaglehawk Neck, Pirates Bay and Doo Town.
Residents were earlier advised to leave, but the Tasmania Fire Service says now they should head to the Eaglehawk Neck jetty or beach.
The 22,000ha fire is burning around Eaglehawk Neck, Pirates Bay, Old Jetty Rd and Blowhole Rd.
A bushfire emergency warning has been issued for Kellevie, Flowery Gully and Bream Creek.
Residents of those Tasmanian areas are being told to relocate to a nearby safer place immediately.
Tasmanian police have rejected Facebook rumours suggesting bodies have already been removed from areas hit by Tasmania's bushfires.
The first convoy of vehicles that were stranded for four days on the Tasman Peninsula finally make their way back to Hobart after leaving Port Arthur. A fire truck goes against the out-coming traffic after spot fires flared up near Forcett. Picture: Toby Zerna
Tasmania Police say they are aware of talk on social media that deaths have occurred in the devastating fires, but says the claims are not true.
Police say searches of fire affected areas are continuing, but no bodies have been discovered so far.
Eight bushfires are also burning across Queensland, but none are currently posing a threat to property.But fire authorities are on high alert with a week of extremely hot weather about to hit the state.
The NSW fire service also reports they have contained a fire at the Lucas Height nuclear research facility. The fire in a transformer station at the rear of the facility was contained about 12.25pm.
Billie Hasett, 9, visits what is left of her school in Dunally, Tasmania. Picture: Newton Matthew
Earlier, at 11.30am AEST, people in the Warrigal Range were told to leave immediately if the path to the refuge of Bega township was clear.
The fire has broken out on the south coast near Bega and is expected to quickly impact on isolated properties.
Residents near Warrigal Range Road and Eagles Nest Road at Brogo were being urged to go to Bega, an RFS spokesman said.
"Temperatures there are up around 40 degrees and winds are very strong so it's a good chance that that fire will take a bit of a run," he told reporters.
Earlier, authorities warned people left in the Kybean Valley to take cover as it is too late to safely escape. The fire had jumped the Numeralla Bridge and was expected to move deeper into the valley.
The RFS spokesman said residents should seek shelter as the blaze impacted, urging them to "protect themselves from radiant heat''.
Sunlight has taken on a yellow tinge and there's the smell of smoke. There's a grass fire on other side of #Cooma. Picture: @DannyDangerOz Source: Twitter
Shortly before 10.30am (AEDT), RFS spokesman Ben Shepherd told reporters the fire was burning out of control around 12km east of Cooma had crossed the Numeralla river.
It was headed towards around 20 properties in the Kybeyan valley.
RFS spokesman Ben Shepherd said firefighters were being assisted by waterbombing aircraft.
"We have trucks there and firefighters obviously, we've also got some water bombing aircraft," he told reporters in Sydney.
He said no homes had yet been destroyed.
"We're giving them fair warning," Mr Shepherd told reporters at the RFS western Sydney headquarters.
There have been other outbreaks at Bathurst, in the central west, with a fire burning near the airport there, and near Wagga Wagga, in the south, where a 870ha fire has broken containment lines.
Helicopter flying over our house to check out the fire at Brogo. Picture: mrs_gillies Source: Twitter
Tasmanian evacuations
Stranded visitors on the Tasman Peninsula cut off by Tasmania's bushfires are being escorted out of the area by police.
Five convoys, totalling around 395 cars and 750 people, have moved out of the Nubeena area in the past 24 hours.
Resupply convoys of essential supplies have been escorted into the area with the arterial Arthur Highway remaining closed.
Police say around 500 cars and 1500 people remain at Nubeena, on the west coast of the peninsula, which has served as a haven for thousands during the fires.
Further convoys will be organised throughout the day if conditions allow.
"A priority for police is to open the Arthur Highway as soon as possible," a Tasmania Police statement said.
"It must be remembered that the fire in the area remains active and uncontrolled.
More than 550 houses have been searched and no bodies found despite concerns for around 100 people still unaccounted for.
Tony Abbott on alert
Tony Abbott is on standby with his local fire brigade as NSW nervously awaits the outbreak of new bushfires.
The federal opposition leader flew back from a political engagement in Brisbane on Tuesday morning to join forces with Davidson Rural Fire Brigade, on Sydney's bushfire-prone north shore.
"I'm now on my way to Sydney to be on standby with my local fire brigade," Mr Abbott tweeted.
"Important to follow fire warnings and advice today."
Mr Abbott has been a volunteer with his local brigade since 2000, served as its deputy captain before becoming opposition leader in 2009 and has previously been directly involved with fighting fires.
There were no bushfires reported in the Davidson Rural Fire Brigade's area.
Prime Minister's warning
Prime Minister Julia Gillard has warned Australians to keep safe as a day of extreme fire danger unfolds around the nation.
The Prime Minister said there was good reason to describe the weather conditions as catastrophic.
"We of course are very concerned about these extreme weather conditions in NSW. The word catastrophic is being used for good reason," she told the Seven Network this morning.
"So it is very important that people keep themselves safe, that they listen to local authorities and local warnings."
Ms Gillard said she would be getting briefings on the situation in NSW during the day, with a total fire ban across the state.
"Even if you aren't in a region in any risk this extreme heat is very damaging to human health, so we have got to keep an eye on each other," she warned.
"We have now for very good system where federal officials, state officials, the defence force, all start collaborating early so when it gets really rough they are already working together."
However, Ms Gillard said she was hoping for the best.
"I would like to end this day with nothing having happened."
Ms Gillard, who toured Tasmania's fire ravaged zones on Monday, said the damage was widespread.
"I saw a lot of devastation... and Tassie was in the same position as NSW a few days ago," she said.
NSW "most dangerous fire-risk day on record"
In NSW, Premier Barry O'Farrell has warned would-be arsonists not to make it even tougher for firefighters.
"The emergency services community's going to have it tough today, we don't need to make it tougher by deliberately lighting fires," he told Macquarie Radio this morning.
The premier urged people to report suspicious activity and warned fines for lighting fires went up to $100,000 if property was damaged and people could face jail sentences of up to 25 years if someone died.
The premier said police were visiting known arsonists so "those characters know that they're under observation, they're not being ignored on a day like this."
Bureau expects national heat record
The NSW Rural Fire Service has sent a warning SMS to the Illawarra, Shoalhaven and the Southern Ranges regions ahead of a 43C forecast and recommends people escape while they can.
The service said people should leave by morning.
"We are shaping up for one of the worst fire danger days on record,'' New South Wales Rural Fire Commissioner Shae Fitzsimmons said this morning.
"You don't get conditions worse than this, we are at the catastrophic level and clearly in those areas leaving early is your safest option.
"Literally, thousand and thousands of firefighters will be on standby today, the aircraft availability will be up around 100 and they will all be at the ready to deal with any new outbreak of fire.
"We can expect the most extreme of fire behaviour should we see a fire develop and take hold...
"It is shaping up to be a very hot and very long day."
Commissioner Fitzsimmons again urged people in the areas most at risk to get out now.
"Unless someone's got that crystal ball that can tell us where and when that fire is going to start, we certainly don't know, the reality is that under those sorts of conditions, if a fire starts and takes hold it will burn extremely aggressively... and we will not be able to contain it."
NSW Parks and Wildlife rangers have already begun visiting popular campsites amid Tuesday's closure of the state's national parks and reserves.
A spokesman said rangers would continue visiting campsites on Tuesday morning, encouraging people to leave.
He said there would be no forced evacuations unless there was a fire emergency.
In Victoria,
a bushfire in the state's southwest has almost doubled in size with firefighters working overnight to stop the blaze impacting rural communities.
Around 500 firefighters and 10 aircraft worked to battle the Kentbruck blaze which increased from 4000 to 7050ha overnight, threatening the rural communities of Drik Drik and Dartmoor.
A Country Fire Authority (CFA) spokeswoman said firefighters conducted backburning south of Drik Drik and built containment lines in preparation for a southwesterly wind change expected on Tuesday morning.
"They have been building mineral earth breaks using dozers so they're ready for it," she said.
The spokeswoman said Drik Drik was no longer under direct threat from the blaze with warnings downgraded to watch and act.
She said the CFA was closely monitoring northern parts of the state where a severe fire danger rating has been issued in anticipation of searing temperatures.
Total fire bans have been declared in the Mallee, Wimmera, Northern Country and North East districts.
Victorian fire latest
In the ACT, firefighters are continuing to mop up a forest fire burning in the territory's south.
The fire is burning close to Mount Ginini in the western region of Namadgi National Park and is under control.
The ACT Rural Fire Service has four units on the scene to fight the 26ha forest fire.
Meanwhile, a helicopter reconnaissance flight will monitor whether there is any fire still burning at Sentry Box and Rendezvous Creek within Namadgi National Park.
A cluster of small fires at Rendezvous Creek was extinguished after the site was water bombed on Monday.
The chopper will use infrared detection equipment to pick up the presence of any hot spots in the areas.
The bushfires were sparked by lightning when a storm hit the capital on Saturday evening.
The alert and warning level for the three fires has been set at 'advice'.
A total fire ban has been declared for Tuesday in the ACT, with fire danger rated at extreme due to forecast very hot and windy weather.
In South Australia, A string of bushfires continue to burn across north of the state but are not causing concern.
The fires, including some which have been burning since Christmas, are in remote areas and are just being left to burn.
The Country Fire Service says they pose no threat to people or property and are being monitored by satellite.
A number of other fires to the south are contained and are still being monitored by small CFS crews.
They include a fire at Finniss, south of Adelaide, at Penola, in the state's south-east and at Sevenhill in the Clare Valley.
Milder conditions across much of South Australia on Tuesday eased the fire danger with Adelaide's forecast top just 31 degrees.
The Bureau of Meteorology expects even cooler conditions in the city and in coastal areas of the state on Wednesday.
However, some far north districts continued to swelter with Oodnadatta among the hottest with 43.5C at 11.35am (CDT).
In Tasmania, police and firefighters are conducting a second round of more comprehensive searches for 100 missing people, with a contingent of Victorian police arriving to help.
"It's vitally important that all people who were in the area at the time, and are OK, self-register their details with the National Registration and Inquiry Service operated by the Red Cross," Acting Deputy Commissioner Donna Adams said.
"This will enable us to put the minds of concerned family and friends at ease and enable us to prioritise our search activities."
Some residents on the peninsula have been urged to seek refuge ahead of a renewed threat across the region.
The Tasmania Fire Service (TFS) says residents in Eagle Hawk Neck, Pirates Bay, Doo Town, Old Jetty Road and Blowhole Road should move to the Tasman Civic Centre in Nubeena ahead of "expected fire behaviour".
Strong wind gusts of between 30-70km/h were expected to sweep across the state's south between midday and 3pm (AEDT).
Around 40 bushfires continue to burn across the state, with concerns also held for uncontrolled blazes at Montumana in the northwest and Lake Repulse in the Derwent Valley.
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