By Laura Mayers and Julia Bergin for the ABC
Members of the Sebastopol Fire brigade have been fighting the blaze in the Grampians. Photo: Sebastopol Fire Brigade / ABC
Firefighters have worked tirelessly through the night to protect homes from a bushfire that continues to burn through Grampians/Gariwerd National Park in Victoria.
There are two emergency warnings current for the Grampians including for the communities of Pomonal, Moyston, Willaura, Mafeking, and Maroona.
The fire had burnt 74,000 hectares of bushland in the park, popular with hikers and campers and famous for its jagged rock formations and spring flowers.
Luke Heagerty, from the State Control Centre, said more than 600 firefighters had sacrificed their family time at Christmas, to work on the fire and protect homes.
He said the blaze grew from 6000 hectares a week ago, to more than 74,000 hectares this morning.
"So, the magnitude of that, it is somewhere around the size of Singapore," he said.
At its worst, last night, there were 12 Vic Emergency warnings in place.
Authorities say no homes have been lost, but some sheds, camping infrastructure and out-buildings have been destroyed.
The focus today would be to build containment lines on the active edges of the fire with cooler conditions providing a five-day reprieve.
Interstate reinforcements
Yesterday, dozens of emergency service personnel flew into Victoria to assist in the fire fight.
A total of 100 emergency service personnel from NSW, ACT, QLD, and Tasmania are stationed at a pop-up base camp in Ararat.
A second temporary base camp has accommodated 220 people from CFA strike teams.
Garry Cook, from the State Control Centre, said the south-westerly change overnight was challenging.
"The ground crews and air crews did a phenomenal job on that eastern side from Pomonal all the way down to Glenthompson," Cook said.
"There's a really big fire edge - we have it plotted now ... it's about 338 kilometres in fire edge. It's massive.
"That would take you to Albury-Wodonga from Melbourne, to put it into perspective."
Cook said communities were a long way from being out of the woods, after dry lightning last night.
"We have another two months of summer - it's going to be a hot, long, dry summer unless there is rain in the horizon," he said.
'Don't be a dickhead' - Premier
Premier Jacinta Allan thanked firefighters for their work, especially for sacrificing family time at Christmas.
"They've forgone Christmas, they'll probably have to forgo any New Year celebrations as they protect communities and battle this very large and serious fire in the Grampians."
She said she was pleased to see people avoiding unnecessary travel and evacuating as directed yesterday.
"It's particularly important this holiday season, with lots of people on the move, to follow advice and follow the rules.
"Don't be a dickhead on total fire ban days because it can put people's lives at risk."
Allan said despite cooler conditions over the next few days, the Grampians blaze was expected to burn for weeks.
"Whenever the wind picks up or changes direction ... that's a risk point. There is still a long way to go," she said.
Infrastructure affected
The fires have cut power to hundreds of homes and businesses at Moyston, Willaura and Pomonal.
"We will be working closely with emergency agencies to access the grounds when it is safe," Powercor spokeswoman Emma Tyner said.
The Mt William communications tower has been destroyed in the fire, causing some disruptions to mobile telephone communications.
Some rural residents have reduced water pressure due to increased demand on water for firefighting.
Ararat Mayor Jo Armstrong told ABC News Breakfast that community members at the relief centres in Ararat, Stawell, Skipton and Hamilton are leaning on each other for support.
"There are many cups of tea that are shared in a relief centre. There's no doubt about the support that people are able to give one another."
'Heartbreaking' fire
Noel Maslamoney, who is the owner-operator of Dadswells Bridge hotel motel, said the town north-west of the fireground had been almost empty for a week.
Maslamoney said it had been a difficult few months, after a very different natural disaster.
"We've just come out of that [damaging] October hailstorm that we had, " he said.
"It's heartbreaking. It's terrible.
"We've done all we can - we have sprinklers going, we've raked leaves. It's all in the lap of the gods, now."
In Lake Bolac, staff at the local pub, Troy Turnewitsch, Malkeet Wirk, and Dianne Toulson stayed behind last night to help prepare meals for firefighters.
"We will not open the pub tonight instead we are cooking meals for the firefighters and getting them fed and watered," they said.
"If you need a safe place our doors are open with food and water."
- This article was first published by the ABC