With Severe Fire Danger Ratings forecast for this weekend, CFA is asking all farmers and landowners to check that any stubble burns they have conducted recently are fully extinguished before Saturday.

A number of hotspots in the South West and North West of the state have been identified in satellite images within the past 48 hours.

Total Fire Bans have been declared for the Mallee, Wimmera, South West, Northern Country, North Central and Central (includes Melbourne and Geelong) fire districts this Saturday 17th March 2018.

With permits starting to be issued it is also a timely reminder that it is a requirement of the permit that the holder notify the local CFA captain before burning is commenced.

The forecast top for Nhill on Saturday is 34 °C. The Bureau of Meteorology issued the following forecast for Saturday:
Slight (30%) chance of a shower. The chance of a thunderstorm in the southeast in the early morning. Winds northerly 20 to 30 km/h increasing to 30 to 45 km/h in the middle of the day then turning west to northwesterly 15 to 20 km/h during the afternoon and evening.