MORE than 80 fires are burning across Victoria, but cooler weather is set to reduce fire activity.
Since Thursday last week more than 400 fires were lit across the state last week, most started by lightening, leaving fire crews stretched.
According to a spokesman from State Control Centre 82 fires are burning this morning and 25 of these were not yet under control.
At Mirranatwa in Victoria's south-west, firefighters saved several houses and sheds as three Grampians fires converged into one blaze yesterday across about 8900ha of bush and farmland.
About 200 DSE, CFA and Parks Victoria firefighters with 17 tankers, 14 aircraft, graders and bulldozers battled through a wind change to focus on asset protection as the fire threatened houses in the Mirranatwa area.
Firefighters were still fighting the now slow-moving Grampians fire this morning as it continued to burn in a north-westerly direction into the Victoria Range.
At noon, two Watch and Act messages were current. The first for the Grampians National Park states the fire is moving in a westerly direction in the Victoria Range and is burning near Glenelg River Rd. The fire may impact Woohlpooer, Glenisla, Mooralla any time in the next four hours.
The second message is for Victoria Valley.
Twenty advice messages were active at noon across Victoria.
Port Macquarie teacher Kristy Beveridge drove home non-stop on Monday to help her parents Rex and Gaye on their Victoria Valley farm.
"They saved the house and mum's four acre garden, that's incredible,'' Kristy said.
"The fire has just come over the hills and been stopped at the back of our house,''
"Everything is fine here, but we're not out of the woods yet.''
She believed there had been no stock losses and four other nearby houses were also saved.
Gaye Beveridge said being in the path of the fire was a frightening experience.
"The men on the ground up close and personal with the fire did an absolutely incredible job," Ms Beveridge said
"We've got the best firebreak in Victoria now."
One home was destroyed and another damaged in out-of-control grass fires in Melbourne's northern suburbs yesterday.
In Gippsland, Licola is now surrounded by fires on both the northern and western side, after several new blazes were ignited from lightening strike on Saturday.
The new fire, near Mount Clear, is about 10 to 15 km north of Licola while the huge Aberfeldy fire 11km west of Licola has burnt 87,000ha and is still active.
Heyfield Incident Controller Peter West said crews had worked hard back burning the Aberfeldy blaze which was reinforced by aerial ignition work.
"We still have an active fire in the northern areas of the fire we have worked hard over the last few days by back burning the Western edge of the valley near Licola," he said.
In the alpine region the Harrietville blaze had burnt through 31250ha but rain and cool weather has dampened the fire activity.
"There has been some rain on the (northern) fire areas and it's meant the fire is not raging," an Ovens incident control centre spokeswoman said.
She said VicRoads started working near intersection of the Dargo High Plains Rd and Great Alpine Rd this week to try and get roads in the open.
A spokesman from the Swifts Creek incident control centre said Dinner Plain was open, but there was still significant fire activity near Blue Rag at the southern end of the fire.
"Last night was a good night it cooled down a little and the breeze dropped," the spokesman said.
More than 1000 fire fighters were battling the blazes, which included 88 recruits from New Zealand and NSW who arrived late last week and another contingent is set to arrive today.
"It has been a very active fire period in many areas of the state and the emergency services have been kept very busy," Fire Services Commissioner Craig Lapsley said.
