They are Mallee, Wimmera, South West, Northern Country, North Central, Central.

CFA Chief Officer Euan Ferguson said with temperatures expected to reach mid-to-high 30s across most of the state, combined with strong winds, a large part of Victoria is facing significant risk of fire.

“While we experienced a lot of rain over winter, there was not enough rain to soak the ground so many areas are quite dry and ready to burn,” Mr Ferguson said. “Grass is beginning to dry rapidly across the state and the forests are very dry which is our greatest concern at the moment.

“The bureau has predicted strong gusty winds with a possible south-westerly change which poses issues to any fires still burning from the past few days.

“Our aim is to control any going fires before midnight tonight before the challenging weather conditions hit.

“Any residents who have recently conducted burn-offs on their land need to ensure they are extinguished before midnight tonight,” he said on Monday.

“It’s important Victorians are vigilant and well prepared – any fire which starts will be difficult to control.”

The Fire Danger Rating in the Mallee and North Central districts are extreme and South West and Central districts are expected to be severe.

“Have a plan in place and don’t rely on just one source of information. The forests are the biggest risk at the moment so residents near those areas need to be extra vigilant,” Mr Ferguson said.

Victorians are urged to visit the CFA website and its can and can’t do page to get familiar with the rules around what was permitted on a day of total fire ban.