Fire-threatened steers from Benambra in East Gippsland topped Thursday's fortnightly store cattle sale at Leongatha.
A large consignment of cattle from east Victoria and south-east NSW contributed to about 40 per cent of the 750-head yarding.
Cattle from fire-affected areas such as Omeo and Benambra were sent to the South Gippsland sale as multiple fires continued to burn uncontrolled in the east.
The top pen of 12 Hereford steers, owned by Russell and Merilyn Pendergast, Benambra, fetched 359 cents a kilogram, selling for $1280 a head.
South Gippsland restockers were out in force as demand for well-bred cattle, backed up by trusted genetics, added a premium to the top lines of cattle.
Steers sold between 310-330c/kg on average, up marginally from the previous store sale.
Heifers made 260-280c/kg, on par with recent previous sales.
Elders auctioneer Rohan McRae, who sold the top pen of steers, said demand was consistent throughout the market.
"The good runs of cattle were out of that East Gippsland area and it has been like that for sometime," Mr McCrae said.
"The cattle that came out of East Gippsland have either been burnt or are under threat of being burnt so those clients made the decision to get rid of their cattle ... to get them gone."
Feedlot activity was limited on previous sales as local graziers attended the sale with an injection of confidence due to recent rainfall.
One South Gippsland farmer told Stock & Land he received 36 millimetres of rain in 24 hours to Thursday morning.
"Steers sold firm to dearer, especially the better bred cattle, and there wasn't a great deal of change in the crossbred cattle," Mr McCrae said.
"We didn't have a lot of heifers and they were probably firm to a shade dearer but we didn't have the lift of better-bred heifers here today either."
The second dearest pen of 12 steers, owned by France Walker, Omeo, sold for $1470 or 337c/kg.
Landmark auctioneer Stuart Jenkin said he expected more cattle from the east to filter through the South and West Gippsland store sales in coming weeks.
"People are taking the opportunity to sell them before they lose too much condition due to a lack of feed and the like," Mr Jenkin said.
"We had a lack of cattle and a big crowd of people here and that made it a very good sale with plenty of demand."
Mount Springs Partnership, Bombala, NSW, presented a large run of unweighed steers and heifers at the sale, including a pen of 10 Euro heifers, 292kg, which sold for $810 or 277c/kg.
"Sometimes this sale does take time to get going and a lot of locals are holding off selling cattle at the moment," Mr Jenkin said.
"We had 20mm of rain last night so no one is in a hurry to sell cattle at the moment."
Johns Enterprises Pty Ltd, Nambrok, sold a pen of 16 steers, 426kg, for $1320 or 309c/kg.
G Sas, Glengarry, sold 16 steers, 417kg, for $1290 or 309c/kg.
High Voltage Consultancy Pty Ltd, Flynns Creek, sold 21 steers, 355kg, for $1120 or 315c/kg.
D and P Burns, Stony Creek, sold 11 steers, 335kg, for $1020 or 300c/kg.
Z and M Spehar, Yinnar, sold eight steers, 345kg, for $970 or 281c/kg.
Sandy Creek Livestock sold three steers, 353kg, for $1120 or 317c/kg.
G and B Evans, Mardan, sold 11 steers, 357kg, for $1185 or 331c/kg.
In the heifers, B Emerson and R Michael sold a joint pen of 13, 301kg, for $810 or 269c/kg.
R and S Hardy, Hallston, sold six heifers, 301kg, for $730 or 242c/kg.
Rangena, Walkerville, sold 21 heifers, 393kg, for $1100 or 279c/kg.