AUTHORITIES close the Great Alpine Rd as fire crews fight a blaze near Smoko in Victoria's High Country.

A State Control Centre spokewoman said at 4pm the 2ha fire was out of control.

She said the fire had flared up.

Fifty-six crew members, three tankers and three helicopters are working towards bringing the fire under control.

It is believed there are hikers in the Mt Feathertop area.

Two new fires at Seaford and Bolinda are being tackled this afternoon.

She said the situation at the Aberfeldy-Donnellys fire in Gippsland had not changed since this morning when it was reported it was more than 61,700ha in size.

That blaze killed a grandfather who was found in a burnt-out car earlier this week.

Earlier today the spokeswoman said 600 crew, 130 vehicles and 13 aircraft were continuing backburning and building containment lines before temperatures climbed.

She said crews had "made good inroads" in reducing fuel loads 5km south of Glenmaggie and north-west of Heyfield ahead of Thursday and Friday's forecasted high temperatures and strong wind.

Community meetings will be held at the at 4.30pm and Briagalong Hall at 7.30pm today.

Meetings will also be held tomorrow at Walhalla's Star Hotel at 10am, Parkers Corner fire station (covers Erica and Rawson communities) at noon, Glengarry Hall at 2.30pm, Toongabbie Mechanics Institute at 6.30pm and Stratford Hall at 7.30pm.

Aircraft this morning spotted 12 fires in state forest near Orbost believed to have started after lightning strikes.

Department of Sustainability ground crews are tackling the small fires. Some of which are listed as "going" or "contained".

A CFA update states three of the fires are 7km north of Orbost in the Mount Buck area and six are in the Murrungowar foothills, 20km north-east of Orbost.

Another two fires started by lightning strikes have been contained near Tallangatta in North East Victoria.

"At the moment we’ve got better conditions before the temperature warms up with Thursday and Friday the next peak days," she said.

"Despite the cooler temperatures yesterday fire behaviour escalated. We saw fires at Wallan and Creswick really took off."