Victoria & S. Australia Impose Fire Bans As Temps Pass 40C

There are fire bans across large parts of Victoria and South Australia, with temperatures expected to top 40 degrees.

Fire authorities are urging residents in Victoria's north and west to enact bushfire survival plans, and a total fire ban has been declared for the Mallee, North Central, Northern Country, Wimmera and South West Districts. Fire bans have also been put in place across nearly all of South Australia, which is facing similarly dangerous conditions, and in the Southern Riverina district of New South Wales.

Country Fire Authority State Duty Officer Peter Baker says there is a high risk of grass fires across Victoria. "Across pretty much all of Victoria, except for the eastern and southern Gippsland parts, the grassland is extremely dry," he said.

"We've got winds from the north, so they're hot winds. They will be up around anywhere between 25 and 50 kilometres per hour depending where you are. "With the heat ... that's a recipe for fire." Mr Baker urged any holidaymakers travelling through unfamiliar territory to be aware of the risks.

EDIT

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-12-23/heatwave-puts-victoria-south-australia-on-fire-alert/4441668