Dozens of homes have been destroyed after bushfires raged through a national park in Victoria's west, as authorities downgrade warnings.
The State Control Centre has confirmed 24 houses were lost at Pomonal and one at Dadswells Bridge in the Grampians National Park, although damage assessments are continuing.
Grampians Tourism chief executive Marc Sleeman, who was forced to flee his Pomonal property on Tuesday afternoon, estimated the losses equated to about 40 percent of all homes in his small town.
"When you start counting how many homes are in that small Pomonal pocket, not considering the outer regions, it's a pretty big impact," Mr Sleeman told AAP in Stawell on Thursday.
"It was just that change of wind that swept around and took hold."
The community member and father of three only learned on Wednesday that his home was still standing after firefighters and the Country Fire Authority volunteers defended it.
"It's bittersweet when I know lots of friends and family have lost homes and lost businesses," Mr Sleeman said.
"There was lots of hugs, as you saw last night at that community meeting, and quite a lot of tears.
"To have 27 to 30 homes destroyed in one fire in a small community like Pomonal is just a shocking thing to happen."
Watch and act warnings have been downgraded to advice messages for both the fires to the national park's east and north, paving the way for Pomonal and Dadswells Bridge residents to soon return to home to survey the damage for themselves.
"Hopefully we get notification that we go in and just assess what we've lost," said Mr Sleeman.
"I know we've lost a few sheds and boats and things like that, but small things in comparison to what other people have lost."
Mr Sleeman urged tourists not to cancel their travel plans to other parts of the region which remain open.
"For a lot of the businesses in Pomonal, they're going to need the support more than ever now," he said.
"It's a very a community-minded town and I know that when we do get back in there it's going to be all hands on deck getting people back on their feet."
Emergency relief payments of $A640 ($NZ683) per adult and $A320 per child with a maximum of $A2240 for a family are available for affected residents.
People will be able to apply for the payments over the phone or in person at emergency relief centres in Ararat and Stawell.
Almost all fires sparked in Victoria on Tuesday are believed to have been started by lightning strikes as severe storms lashed the state.
Another bushfire sprang up at the Warby-Ovens National Park near the Victorian Alps in the state's northeast on Wednesday, with authorities issuing a watch-and-act alert before later downgrading the warning.
The threat from an uncontrolled bushfire at Newtown near Ballarat has also eased after residents were told to evacuate.
Blaze in Tasmania
Campers have been evacuated as an out-of-control bushfire burns near a conservation area in Tasmania's northeast.
The blaze close to the Waterhouse Conservation Area near the seaside town of Tomahawk was reported shortly before 4am on Thursday, prompting an emergency warning.
Tasmania Fire Service regional chief Jeff Harper said 16 firefighting vehicles, six aircraft and two planes were being used to battle the fire.
"At this stage it's not known how the fire started," he said.
"Fire crews have been evacuating campers from the area, as there are concerns the fire will spread to Homestead Road which is the only way in and out of the conservation area.
"People who have been displaced are advised that there are nearby safer places located at Bridport to the west of the fire, and Gladstone to the east of the fire."
Mr Harper said crews were hopeful of controlling the bushfire before it reached Tomahawk.
