This is what I hate about summer....

From the ABC:

Wednesday, December 6, 2006. 2:43pm (AEDT)

Fires in Victoria are approaching a number of communities.

Residents in eastern Victoria have been told to prepare for one of the worst bushfire weekends in the state's history.

Community meetings are under way as the situation worsens.

Residents in affected regions are currently deciding whether to stay or leave as fires approach a number of communities.

The Country Fire Authority (CFA) is warning that some of the fires could join to form one massive 600,000-hectare blaze by the weekend.

Premier Steve Bracks says everything will be done to save properties.

"We have the maximum resources possible in the state to bear on this, but we can't say that we are not going to have problems this weekend," he said.

The main threat to private property is currently both north-east and south-east of Mansfield in the state's north-east, but authorities are warning that towns as far south as Bairnsdale and Rosedale in Gippsland could be under threat by the weekend.