For the first time, residents of high fire risk areas will be urged to leave their homes if weather conditions reach the "catastrophic" conditions like those of last February's Black Saturday fires.

Warnings about such conditions could be given days in advance, giving most residents time to seek shelter with family or friends in safe areas elsewhere.

But what would happen to people unable to get out, such as those without family connections or who are sick, remains up in the air.

Country Fire Authority Midlands Wimmera general manager Don Kelly conceded some people would have "nowhere to go".

"So there will be some issues about how does the community look after those people," Mr Kelly said.

Mr Kelly said so-called "Neighbourhood Safer Places", usually ovals or other open spaces, were not an option.

"Let's make it absolutely clear, this is a place of absolute last resort. They will just be somewhere that will be safer than just being exposed either on the roadside or at a house which is likely to burn down."

Similarly, bushfire relief centres would only be set up when there was a fire, not on days of extreme heat.

Ballarat mayor Judy Verlin said the council did not have the resources to be able to cater for people in that position.

"There's nothing that's been planned and nothing in the budget that would be able to provide that sort of accommodation," Cr Verlin said. She said it was important those who felt vulnerable planned with their families what they would do.

The "catastrophic" or "code-red" classification will be available to fire authorities for the first time this summer. The option for owners to "stay and defend" their properties will no longer be part of official bushfire warnings.