A Total Fire Ban (TFB) has been declared for the Mallee, Wimmera, North Central, South West and Central regions tomorrow, Saturday 22 February 2025.
Tomorrow's hot, dry and windy conditions will drive elevated fire danger across the state for the majority of the day and overnight, with temperatures reaching low 40s in the northwest and mid 30s elsewhere.
The damaging northerly winds will reach an average of 30km/hr in the west and central parts, with gusts of up to 100km/hr.
A westerly south westerly wind change is expected to enter the far west unusually late around 5pm, before stalling overnight and pushing through Melbourne late Sunday morning.
A Total Fire Ban means no fire can be lit in the open air or allowed to remain alight from 12.01am to 11.59pm on the day of the Total Fire Ban.
CFA Chief Officer Jason Heffernan said the TFB has been declared due to the expected forecast that could present challenging fire behaviour over the next two days.
"Tomorrow's conditions in several parts of the state will make it difficult for firefighters to supress a fire should one start," Jason said.
"We are also seeing the potential for dry thunderstorms in the northwest later in the day that could result in dry lightning strikes hitting the ground and ultimately causing new ignitions and concerns for firefighters.
"We're asking people to follow the strict conditions associated with the TFB declaration, stay well informed with warnings through the VicEmergency app and understand how the increased fire risk will impact you, ensuring your fire plan covers all possible contingencies."
Victorians can find out if it is a Total Fire Ban on the CFA website www.cfa.vic.gov.au, where it is usually published by 5pm the day before a Total Fire Ban.
