The Country Fire Authority in Victoria is preparing for extreme fire conditions on Friday and Saturday.
The ABC reports conditions are being compared to those before the Ash Wednesday bushfires in 1983 which killed 47 people.
Large areas of national parks and state forests in north-east Victoria have been closed to reduce the fire danger.
The Department of Sustainability & Environment says it is too risky to let people in.
Temperatures are forecast to be in excess of 40 degrees across the state on Saturday, with strong winds.
