An emergency warning has been issued for Bulla, Diggers Rest and Calder Park.
Vic Emergency has issued a message for residents in the Cooper Road area. It says the bushfire is travelling in a southerly direction towards the Calder Freeway, Calder Park.
Residents are in danger, and should act now to protect themselves. The message says it is too late to leave and that the safest option is to take shelter indoors immediately.
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:
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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.
2:48PM: It’s looking good – the 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.
2.39PM: 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.
Multiple houses are threatened by a grassfire that has broken out in Diggers Rest in Melbourne's north-west.
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.