UPDATE: VICTORIAN firefighters have managed to contain two separate grass fires in the state overnight.
A grass fire in Pipers Creek, about 90km northwest of Melbourne, destroyed 10ha of isolated bushland this morning.
A contingent of 17 fire trucks battled the blaze after arriving at 4am and were able to contain the fire before it posed any serious threat to property or assets.
A CFA spokesman said residents received an advice warning at 6.30am, however firefighters managed to contain the fire by 7am.
"We hit it pretty hard and fast and were able to manage it quite quickly," he said.
"Due to its location, surrounding areas will be able to see the fire’s smoke so it’s just about being aware of it."
Bulldozers remained positioned along its perimeter to help firefighters control containment lines.
The CFA said it was "quite possible" the fire was started by lightning.
Meanwhile, investigations are under way after a grass fire engulfed 350ha at Little River, 51km southwest of Melbourne, endangering hundreds of homes.
Police are investigating the cause of the fire, and have confirmed they believe it was deliberately lit.
Almost 40 CFA crews and four aircraft, including Elvis the aircrane, battled the fire which was contained about 8pm.
The fast-moving grass fire travelled in a northwesterly direction under the influence of a southeasterly wind and at times proved dangerous and difficult for crews to battle.
At one stage the fire was spotting 2-3 kilometres ahead while stony ground made access for tankers difficult.
It comes as fires raged across Australia, destroying more than 33 homes in NSW, as Victorians remembered a firefighter killed in Tasmania.
Emergency services were under siege battling blazes across the nation from Warrumbungle National Park in NSW to Tasmania, where 130 homes have been lost since January 4.
The NSW fire is one of 146 blazes across the state pushing almost 800 firefighters to their limits.
The 100km front is a worry for firefighters, with temperatures forecast to reach 40C later this week.
The Warrumbungle blaze has burnt through 40,000ha since it ignited on Sunday, with more than 110 people having to evacuate their homes yesterday.
Rural Fire Service deputy commissioner Rob Rogers said the wind shifted at the worst possible time, creating "perfect storm" conditions for a fire that burnt "with such a ferocity we haven't seen in years".
The development comes as devastated family and friends of a Victorian firefighter, Peter Ronald Cramer, 61, who lost his life battling bushfires in Tasmania on Sunday described their father as a man with a passion for protecting others.
Mr Cramer's son Jason said the family were grief-stricken at the loss, especially his sister Linda, who is expecting, saying it is a great loss that their father won't meet his grandchild.
"We are absolutely devastated, a bit shocked. My sister is devastated - she was Dad's little girl."
Tributes flowed from the Victorian and Tasmanian premiers for the Gippsland-based firefighter, who had 30 years volunteering experience.
He died on Sunday near Taranna, on the Tasman Peninsula, where he was backburning.
The veteran volunteer from the town of Tyers, about 160km east of Melbourne, had been on foot identifying containment lines before he was found deceased on a track at 5pm.
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