According to reports, authorities have issued a warning of a Catastrophic Fire Danger Rating forecasted for Wednesday (28 February), in the Wimmera district. Meanwhile, an extreme rating is anticipated for most other Victorian fire districts. The forecast for Wednesday (28 February) predicts temperatures of 44 degrees Celsius in Mildura, with many other towns expected to reach the high 30s, including 36 degrees Celsius in Melbourne. The Bureau of Meteorology has indicated that the hot weather will be accompanied by strong, gusty winds, with forecasters predicting north to north-easterly winds of up to 50km/h shifting to westerly winds in the afternoon. Victorian Emergency Services Minister Jaclyn Symes has assured communities in western Victoria that authorities are prepared.

Two current watch and act alerts and four advice messages were updated on Monday afternoon (26 February) for a few hamlets in the Pyrenees Shire, with weather conditions favorable for firefighting efforts and planned burning activities for the next 24 hours. Towns like Beaufort, Raglan, Elmhurst, and Amphitheatre are on high alert following a blaze near Bayindeen, west of Ballarat, which has already destroyed six houses and scorched about 20,000 hectares.