Victorians urged to prepare for summer bushfire season now

The hot, dry conditions have prompted fire officials to declare Fire Action Week early, with Emergency Services Commissioner Craig Lapsley saying large parts of the state were already extremely dry and would continue to dry out leading into the worst fire period in January and February.

"The Bureau is already very clear in its forecast: this will be a long, dry, hot summer and it has already started," he said.

"We've already had fires in October that's outside of normal and those fires were intense and we've already lost property," he said.

Firefighters have already responded to more than 1000 fires across the state since the start of October, including 385 bush, shrub and grassfires in a single week in early October.

A bushfire that started as a controlled burn destroyed four houses in Lancefield in early October, and on Wednesday, a small fire in Monbulk took off in mild conditions and threatened houses and a school in Melbourne's outer east before it was brought under control by 20 fire trucks and two water tankers.

"It is a warning to Victorians that this fire season has every potential to be very, very serious," Mr Lapsley said.

Recent rainfall and showers predicted in early November would do little to dampen the fire risk, he said.

Residents, particularly those who live on the urban fringe, were urged to spend November inspecting their homes for fire risks, cleaning up areas and ensuring they have a plan for when to leave and where to go on high fire danger days.

Melburnians planning to travel to the bush or the beach over summer were also urged to understand fire warnings, Mr Lapsley said.

"Whether you live adjacent to the bush or adjacent to grasslands, or whether you live in downtown Brunswick you still have a responsibility," he said.  

Emergency Services Minister Jane Garrett said the decision had been made to bring forward Fire Action Week after the "devastating" start to the fire season.

"With a long, hot summer season ahead, we made the decision to bring forward Fire Action week to make sure all Victorians are preparing now," she said.

"Fire can strike at any time, so even if you're in an area that could be fire prone but hasn't been hit for a while that's exactly the time not to be complacent," she said.

"This is especially important for Victorians who are new to our state or have undergone a tree change or have moved out to our urban fringes. These people have not grown up around fire and they're not aware of the risks, so we're asking those people in particular to understand the fire risk in your area," she said.

"The better prepared you are, the more you can protect yourself, your property and your family."