While FFMVic fire crews undertake planned burning under carefully managed conditions year-round, a burning program is currently underway in this region due to the cooler summer and the significant rainfall in parts of the Midlands district during summer.

Last week planned burning commenced in the Brisbane Ranges National Park - earlier than normal.

On Wednesday this week, a 7.82 hectares burn was undertaken in Kidds Gully at Hepburn Springs, while another burn was completed at the Boonderoo Nature Conservation Reserve at Lethbridge. On Thursday, a landscape management burn of about 140 hectares was conducted 11-kilometres north of Raglan.

From Macedon to the Daylesford - Hepburn Springs corridor to around Ballarat and at Mt Cole, approximately 10 further planned burns will be carried out across the district in the coming months.

FFMVic's Deputy Chief Fire Officer in the Grampians, Tony English, said the majority of the burns were being undertaken to reduce bushfire risk.

Fuel reduction burns aim to reduce the spread and intensity of future bushfires so it is easier for firefighters to contain a fire before it impacts people, property and the environment.

"Reducing fuel levels near communities and assets, public infrastructure or across larger forested areas [will] reduce the spread of bushfires," he said.

Many of those planned for the Wombat Forest area are of the highest state priority to reduce fire risk.

The largest burn is planned near North Blackwood, on the northern edge of the Wombat Forest. At 1200 hectares, it could take three or four days to complete.

"It is one of the highest priority burns in the state as it reduces risk to communities including Gisborne, Woodend and Bullengarook and surrounds," Deputy Chief Fire Officer English said.

While most burns will be ignited by ground crews using hand-held drip torches for ignition and patrolled using four-wheel drive ultralight tankers and large fire tankers, FFMVic may use aerial ignition at North Blackwood.

"For this burn we may use aerial ignition if the conditions are suitable which involves the use of aerial incendiaries (similar to table-tennis balls) dropped from a helicopter.

"These operations are managed by an accredited FFMVic incendiary operations supervisor."

Cultural burns are also planned to be conducted with Wadawurrung Traditional Owners at Skipton and in the You Yangs Regional Park, while an ecological burn will be completed near Lethbridge to provide habitat for local fauna species.

Exactly when the burns are undertaken will be dependent on weather conditions.

"FFMVic always works closely with the Bureau of Meteorology to assess weather conditions - such as humidity, temperature, and wind speed - and will only carry out burns when conditions are suitable," Deputy Chief Fire Officer English said.

Planned burning is one of the fuel management strategies employed by FFMVic to reduce the risk of bushfire.

It has also been conducting mulching works around towns including Daylesford, Hepburn Springs and Smythesdale - these works can be carried out year-round, when conditions are not suitable for planned burning.

The Country Fire Authority's Assistant Chief Fire Officer for District 15, Eddie Lacko, reminded the community not to be complacent despite it being a milder than normal summer.

"Although we've had some cooler and milder temperatures we did have a bit of a heatwave which might not be the last.

"We could still get those high temperatures and strong northerly winds which will dictate fire behaviour so we're not taking our foot off the throttle yet."

He encouraged community members to remain vigilant about fire preparedness, to keep up-to-date with the weather forecast and warnings and to have a plan in place in case of an emergency.

Though the Fire Danger Period will remain in place, schedule 13 permits for farmers to undertake stubble or grass burns on private land to prepare it for future cropping will begin to be issued across the City of Ballarat from next week.

The permits are issued under the Country Fire Authority Act 1958 by the City of Ballarat Fire Prevention Officer and allows landowners and managers to undertake controlled burning during the Fire Danger Period under very strict guidelines.

Breaching permit conditions or lighting a fire during this period without a permit can result in fines of over $19,400 and or 12 months' imprisonment.

In a statement, the City of Ballarat said burns may be inspected by authorised officers, with any non-compliance with permit conditions resulting in the permit being cancelled and appropriate authorities informed.

For all the latest information about planned burns visit: ffm.vic.gov.au/plannedburns, download the VicEmergency app or call the VicEmergency hotline on 1800 226 226.