Children ordered home in fire threat

Authorities have also stepped up their warnings to residents in threatened areas, telling them to leave their homes before 10am or be prepared to stay and fight if fires flare up.

With several big fires still burning near populated areas, including Daylesford, authorities fear the return of strong northerly winds and temperatures up to 40 degrees across the state today could create another major emergency.

There are also fears that lightning strikes later in the day could spark new fires.

As a day of total fire ban was declared across the state, Premier John Brumby repeated his dire message from the lead-up to Black Saturday, warning people not to travel unnecessarily and to stay away from the bush, including the Great Ocean Road.

"We all need to exercise common sense. If you don't need to go out then don't," he said. "If you do need to go out, then leave early, but carefully consider your travel plans."

In an unprecedented step, the Government ordered the closure of almost 400 schools and children's centres for the day in bushfire-prone areas.

Education Minister Bronwyn Pike said 192 public schools and 176 licensed kindergartens, day care centres and creches would be shut.

Another 16 Catholic schools and 10 independent schools will also be shut.

Ms Pike said it was a "precautionary action" following advice from the Country Fire Authority and the State Emergency Service.

Three primary schools - Marysville, Strathewen, and Middle King Lake - were burnt down in the Black Saturday fires three weeks ago.

So far, the official death toll from the disaster stands at 210. But experts say the fatalities could have been much higher had the fires occurred on a school day.

"There will be several thousand people affected by (the closures), but that's a small price to pay compared to the risk that people potentially are at," Ms Pike said. "This is an extraordinary set of circumstances. We've got a tinder dry environment, we've got existing fires and we of course are now working through the process. This just happens to be an extraordinarily large number of schools."

School principals were working frantically last night to notify families of today's closures, sending home letters with students or calling parents individually. Posters will also be placed on school buildings today, and some principals will be at school gates turning children away in case families had not been notified last night.

At Daylesford Secondary College, principal Heather McIntyre said that after a week of imminent danger, staff and students were relieved about the decision to close today.

Of the school's 495 students, about 200 had already stayed away this week because of the fire threat.

Tension has also been high at Deans Marsh Primary, where the school's 42 students have spent the week practising fire drills. "The Otways has been pretty dry - any spark and I think it'll go," principal Iain Stoddart said.

Of the closed state schools, 61 are around the eastern metropolitan region, including Healesville High School, Emerald Secondary College and Ferntree Gully North Primary School. A further 35 public schools have closed in the Gippsland area, 30 in the Grampians, and 29 in the Loddon Mallee region.

Sixteen Catholic schools will close in areas including Bunyip, Belgrave and Yarra Junction. A further 10 independent schools will close on the advice of the Association of Independent Schools.

CFA deputy chief fire officer John Haynes said today was "prime fire weather", with temperatures nearing 40 degrees and a strong northerly wind, followed by a dangerous south-westerly change in the afternoon. "If you are going to leave, go to some of the relief centres set up in some of the high fire-danger areas or, if you want to, go to the movies for the day, see family members in the CBD."

"If you are going to stay, be prepared, make sure you drink plenty of water, wear your long sleeves, long pants, sturdy boots and listen to the radio for urgent threat messages."

Fears are greatest for towns in the Yarra and Warburton valleys, including Healesville, Yarra Glen, Warburton and Steels Creek, which are as close as four kilometres to the edge of a massive, uncontained inferno that has been looming over them since Black Saturday.

Other areas that could come under threat include Daylesford and surrounding towns near the Muskvale fire, which has been contained but could flare up. Residents of Whittlesea, Wallan, and those threatened by the Upwey blaze on Monday should also be alert.

The dangerous weather could resume next week, with strong winds forecast for Tuesday, as well as 32-degree heat, before a showery change.

Acting Superintendent Michael Sayer said traffic police across the state would be on the roads today to help motorists deal with the bushfire threat.

Information on road closures is available at the VicRoads website, www.vicroads.vic.gov.au, and on ABC radio updates.