Residents evacuate amid bushfire risk (Victoria)

Evacuations are taking place in areas at most risk from bushfires which are burning north-east of Melbourne today. With temperatures in the mid-30s and strong winds expected to hit late this afternoon, communities in the Yarra and Warburton Valleys are on high alert.

More than 100 people have left their homes in the Yarra Valley to take shelter at a relief centre at Lilydale, east of Melbourne. Simon O'Callaghan from the Yarra Ranges Shire says 108 people have registered at the relief centre at the Lilydale recreation reserve. "Some of them are going to then stay with other family, however some have established themselves there," he said.

"Overnight we had about 14 people stay...some of them brought their tents and their animals. There's a few horses and the like down there."

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Stuart Ord from the Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) says a wind change late this afternoon could increase the fire threat. "The winds will pick up, the wind direction will change from a north-westerly to a south-westerly, so we know all that and so we'll be preparing ourselves for what comes," he said.

Mr Ord says crews will be keeping a close eye on the Warburton Valley fire. "There are still some areas we're particularly concerned about so we'll be doing everything we can today to ensure that fire doesn't spot into the Warburton Valley," he said. "If it does, we've got a lot of resources sitting up in the valley waiting for that eventuality."

Those who have stayed have been told to enact their bushfire plans.

More: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/02/23/2498492.htm