Victoria fires: more than half of state on extreme bushfire danger alert as hot weather forecast

Temperatures tipped to climb above 40C in parts of the state on Wednesday with extreme fire conditions forecast in six weather districts

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Officials are rushing to set up a long-term base camp for hundreds of firefighters with more than half of Victoria on high alert for extreme bushfire conditions.

The Wimmera region was slated to have catastrophic fire danger on Wednesday, while extreme fire danger was predicted for five of Victoria's nine total weather districts.

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