A boxing day total fire ban has been declared for the entire state of Victoria, with high temperatures and strong winds forecast. There's a big blaze in the Grampians in the west that’s been fluctuating from watch and act to emergency level over several days - and really strong winds are forecast to hit that on boxing day.
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00:00Victoria is gearing up for extreme weather conditions starting this Boxing Day.
00:07The CFA has declared a total fire ban across the state on Thursday.
00:12Today the weather has settled but hot, dry and windy conditions are expected on Thursday and Friday.
00:19Authorities are warning people to prepare now and to be ready to implement their bushfire survival plans as well.
00:26It's that westerly to southwesterly change coming through that really makes us nervous.
00:31With 80 to 90 kilometres an hour with the potential for 100 kilometres an hour peak gusts
00:37on elevated parts of the western regions of which the Grampians comprises.
00:42Firefighters across the Grampians though are tired.
00:45They've been fighting blazes for days and the Grampians National Park
00:49which is three hours northwest of Melbourne continues to burn.
00:54About 40,000 hectares have been burnt through so far.
00:58Brigades from across the state have also come in to help
01:02and interstate crews are expected to come down from Boxing Day as well.
01:07Three Watch and Act alerts remain in place in areas around the Grampians National Park
01:12and at the moment it's not safe to return but some residents from Halls Gap
01:17and business owners were welcomed back into the area to collect their belongings
01:22between 10 and 12 p.m. this morning.
01:25Now crews are preparing for extreme weather of course over the next few days
01:30but authorities are urging people to keep looking at the Vic Emergency website
01:35and the ABC emergency website and local radio for any updates.