Evacuations warnings issued for bushfires near Grampians and ...

Residents in Dimboola in Victoria's west have been told to take shelter immediately as a bushfire burns out-of-control in Little Desert National Park near the South Australian border.
An evacuation order was issued at 6:46pm on Monday night for the communities of Dimboola, Pimpinio and Wail, with the fire expected to impact Dimboola.
Residents are advised the Western Highway is closed between Horsham and Dimboola, with people warned against heading south if evacuating.
The fire is now travelling in a northerly direction towards Nhill, threatening lives and homes.
Residents in communities to the north of the fire have been told to take shelter immediately, including Dimboola, Gerang Gerung, Kiata, Kinimakatka, Lawloit, Little Desert, Winiam, Winiam East.
Authorities believe fires were started by lightning strikes in Little Desert National Park. (Supplied: State Control Centre)
Dry lightning started several fires in the national park in western Victoria during a day of extreme fire danger, with visitors and campers have been urged to immediately leave the park.
A Watch and Act message has also been issued for the communities around the national park, including Kinimakatka, Winiam Wast, Duchembegarra, Cooack, Goroke, Minimay, Peronne and Nurcoung.
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Spread of Little Desert fire to slow overnight
Authorities said the fire in Little Desert National Park travelled more than 40kms over the course of Monday afternoon, burning a long strip through the terrain.
CFA deputy chief officer Garry Cook said the northern end of the fire was moving in a north-easterly direction on Monday night, impacting private properties and the town of Dimboola.
However, he said cool change had slowed the spread of the fire, and was expected to move slowly overnight.
"The fire is still in and around Dimboola," Mr Cook said speaking at 9.30pm.
"It's not moving anywhere near as fast as it was earlier in the afternoon because the heat is going out of the day."
Firefighting aircraft have been grounded for the day, but ground teams are present in Dimboola working on suppression.
Mr Cook could not confirm reports Little Desert Nature Lodge had been destroyed by the fire.
"I have had reports of some structures being lost, which ones they specifically are, at the moment we don't have that detail," he said.
Blaze creating 'its own weather system'
Speaking at 8.30pm, Luke Heagerty from the State Control Centre said the fire in Little Desert National Park had grown in excess of 50,000 hectares.
"To give you an idea, the area that's burnt through is just a little bit less than what burnt through the Grampians fire a few weeks ago — over a 21 day period," he said.
Mr Heagerty said conditions were worsening as the fire continued to burn.
"There's a lot of energy that this fire is creating, and what that means is it's effectively creating its own weather system," Mr Heagerty said.
"Even with the cool change, there will still be a lot of smoke around, a lot of potential for this fire to continue to behave in ways that it otherwise wouldn't, just because of the intensity of this fire."
He said a telephone alert had been issued to the area, and said residents should not return to their homes this evening.
Dry lightning has caused multiple fires in the Little Desert National Park near the Victoria-South Australia border. (Supplied: Tim Meyer)
Mr Heagerty said a wind change was expected to push the fire towards Dimboola, and urged people to evacuate if safe to do so.
"We're going to have this warning in place for Dimboola until 8am tomorrow," he said.
"The reason for that is that we want people to get out tonight whilst there's still some daylight, whilst they can get on the roads that are safe for them to travel on."
Meanwhile, another fire is burning in the northern part of the Grampians National Park, with campers at the Strachans campground, Victoria Valley and Mirranatwa told to leave immediately.
Fires are burning in two national parks in Victoria's west, with communities urged to evacuate on Monday night. (VicEmergency)
Watch and Act warnings have also been raised for Cranage and Zumsteins in the Grampians National Park.
Mr Heagerty said cooler conditions could be expected tomorrow.
"[On Tuesday], we should see a reduction in the heat, so the temperature will be a lot lower than it was today," he said.
"Winds will still be a little strong, but much cooler than they have been, less intense."
Evacuation centre set up in nearby Horsham
Deputy Hindmarsh Shire mayor Chan Uoy was one of the residents who evacuated on Monday evening.
"This is my first evacuation experience," he told ABC radio.
"You could smell the smoke in the air, that was a reminder that this was real and serious."
He said the main street was lined with cars as residents all immediately started to leave Dimboola once the warning was issued.
Cr Uoy said mattresses and food were being provided for residents at the Horsham Senior Citizen Centre, where a relief centre has been established.
"It's a calamity, but at the same time it brings humans together," he said.
"Even though its extreme, we're also very blessed we've got systems in place to protect each other.