Emergency warning issued as grassfire threatens houses in Melbourne's north-west

• 3:07pm

Fire downgraded to Watch and Act

The CFA have just downgraded the Emergency Warning to a Watch and Act, indicating the fire's danger has significantly reduced - although it is not yet under control. Here's the CFA information:

• This warning replaces the Emergency Warning issued at 2:17pm. The immediate danger has been reduced. The running edge of the fire has been contained however there are still some internal flareups.
• The bushfire at BULLA-DIGGERS REST RD, DIGGERS REST is not yet under control.
• The bushfire is located north of the Calder Freeway, Calder Park. 
• Smoke and embers will be visible.
• If defending your property keep a watch out for falling embers and douse with water but only if safe to do so.

• 3:00pm

Puppies, kittens safe

Bob Laider operates Sampenny Kennels and Cattery in Bulla, which is in the emergency warning area. 

He said he had been evacuated from the area and the animals were still there. 

However, he said a neighbour had stayed behind in the area and was saying that the dogs and cats were all fine. The spot was not being threatened by the fire, he said. 

The Diggers Rest area is not too far from the airport and is home to a number of kennels and catteries where owners drop off their pets when they head out overseas. 

• 2:59pm

This tweet from Incident Alert show the difficulty firefighters had in containing today's fast-moving blaze as it burned under high-voltage powerlines. 

The lines restricted helicopters from being able to get right into the blaze to dump water - but the tweet shows just how close brave firefighters dared to come.

• 2:58pm

Organ Pipes National Park closed

The Organ Pipes National Park is in the process of being closed, a CFA spokeswoman has informed us.

The Pipes Park is located very close to the bushfire, but at this stage it does not look like the blaze got to far into the reserve.

• 2:48pm

CFA starting to contain fire

The CFA are now sounding very confident that they are on top of the fire. The Emergency Warning remains in place, however.

An agency spokeswoman said current damaged estimates were one house damaged, and another shed potentially damaged.

The fire is not out, but the CFA are on top of it and are starting to contain it. "It's looking like it's all good now", the spokeswoman said.

• 2:41pm

Here's a map Craig Butt made of the area. 

The orange zone is the Watch and Act Area. where leaving the area is the best option.
The red section is the Emergency Warning Area, where it is too late to leave the area. 
The arrow is the wind direction, which is also the direction the fire is travelling. 
The blue line shows the section of Bulla-Diggers Rest Road that has been closed.
 

We will update this map as we get more updates on the situation.

• 2:39pm

Bulla-Diggers Rest road closed

VicRoads have just announced that Bulla-Diggers Rest Road is now closed

• 2:36pm

Roads blocked off around fire

A local resident from the Diggers Rest area said police have blocked off roads leading to the fire-affected area, reports Craig Butt

She said the section of road past the roundabout at Sunbury Road and Loemans Road had been closed to traffic. 

A "doggy hotel" where pets stay when their owners are overseas and a training centre for Border Control dogs were also in the path of the fire, she said. 

But she said residents had been reassured fire crews would be able to stop the main front of the fire from reaching homes. 

The resident had driven closer to the city because of the road closure so could not provide an account of the conditions in the Diggers Rest. 
 

• 2:30pm

"It came right up to the fences"

Clarke Maree from United Aero Helicopters was over the top of the fire, covering it for Channels 7 and 9.

He says the fire moved quickly at first - racing maybe two kilometres from when he first started covering it.

"The fire choppers did a pretty good job keeping it away from the houses.

"It came right up to the fences of the properties. There was one farmhouse, it got right up to the fence. The others it got within the yard, but not any real proximity of the house itself."

Mr Maree said he did not see any houses damaged by the blaze, but believed several woodheaps and refuse piles had gone up.

"In the areas where it got into the grass it was quite fast moving. But it seems to be mostly out now. Those fire-bombers are pretty efficient."

• 2:19pm

This appears to be a second burnt structure

• 2:16pm

Channel 7 just broadcast this footage, which appears to show a structure fully engulfed by flames.

At this stage the CFA do not have any updates on possible property damage beyond one house that may have been damaged

• 2:13pm

Situation Update

The map below indicates what we know so far.

We believe the fire broke out around 11.30 at the black fire icon on the top left. A Watch and Act was initially issued, and the CFA aggressively attacked the blaze with the hope of getting it out quickly.

But with strong winds and lots of dry grass in the area, the fire quickly made progress south (the large red arrows indicate wind direction).

At 1.15pm an Emergency Warning was issued for people living around Coopers Road (indicated in blue), with the CFA warning it was now too late for that community to leave and instructing them to shelter inside.

• 1:59pm

Recapping what we know

Multiple houses are threatened by a grassfire that has broken out in Diggers Rest in Melbourne's north-west.

At 1.15 the CFA issued an Emergency Warning for areas around Diggers Rest, instructing them to shelter inside as it was now to late to leave.

A CFA spokesman said 28 tankers supported by three aircraft were responding to the grassfire, which was not under control. 

The CFA initially feared a house had been damaged, but "we now believe the house has been saved", CFA duty officer Jamie Hansen told Fairfax Media.

The area burning was rough, scrubby country, Mr Hansen said. A gusty northerly wind was fanning the flames.

Firefighters were aggressively trying to put the bushfire out, but might end up having to resort to using the Calder Freeway as a defensive firebreak position, Mr Hansen said. He was unsure if the fire was likely to make it that far.

The fire was first reported to emergency services at about 11.25.

• 1:57pm

Weather update

The hot, dry and windy weather conditions at the moment are just what fires need to get going, but luckily a change coming through tonight should hinder the fire's spread, reports Craig Butt.

Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Michael Efron said it is 34 degrees in the Diggers Rest area at the moment, and there are strong winds of 25 to 35 km/h. 

It is very dry out as well, with low relative humidity, all of which adds up to less than perfect conditions for firefighters. 

But he said these winds should ease from about 5pm this afternoon, and about 9pm the wind direction will change to a southeast to southwesterly. 

While a wind change can sometimes be a concern, in this case the southerly winds will be weaker and will not spread the fire front, he said. 

There is also a chance of some showers later this evening, he said, which will pick up to almost certain rainfall on Sunday. An increase in humidity will also dampen the fire front. 
 

• 1:56pm

Channel 7 and 9 both have cameras in the air over the fire. The images are quite frightening.

• 1:54pm

Houses under threat

This map shows why the CFA might be concerned - several houses are in that area. I've circled them in red.

• 1:50pm

This image, from FlightRadar24.com, shows the path of one of the three helicopters fighting the fire at Diggers Rest. 

• 1:43pm

One house damaged, others threatened

We were told earlier by the CFA that one house had been damaged - that's still unconfirmed, as a spokesman later told us the agency thought they had saved it.

The Emergency Warning means houses and lives are directly threatened by the fire.

Channel 7 - who are covering the fire live here - put up this vision of what appears to be damaged farm machinery.

• 1:38pm

The area burning, in Diggers Rest in Melbourne's north-west, is an outer suburban area with a lot of scrubby grass for a fire to burn. Gusty local conditions are making fighting the fire difficult.

• 1:36pm

A CFA spokeswoman tells us

• The number of trucks fighting the fire has increased to 33
• Strike teams have been called in