VICTORIAN Premier John Brumby says the stay-or-go bushfire advice to householder will remain, while the royal commission reviews the safety message.
The death toll from the state's fires stands at 181, and is expected to rise sharply.
Mr Brumby told ABC radio that compelling people to leave threatened areas would mean evacuating up to half a million people every time there's a medium-to-high fire alert.
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He said they couldn't be catered for, while the stay-or-go policy has served the state well for 20 years.
The royal commission will look at planning regulations, building standards and whether fire breaks or bunkers should be built.
Meanwhile, Mr Brumby said there's no shortage of temporary accommodation available for people who've lost their homes, with 750 public housing properties and 12 thousand private homes offered across the state.
The government's also trying to appoint one case manager for every family affected by the fires.
AAP