Fire destroys house in Victoria

A house has been destroyed by fire north of Melbourne, sparking another blaze that spread through nearby grassland.

Fire crews were called to the house at St Andrews at about 12.30pm (AEDT) on Monday and found the house significantly engulfed in fire.

The blaze spotted onto nearby land and created a small grassfire that took about 30 minutes to put out, a State Control Centre spokeswoman said.

The house fire took about an hour-and-a-half to bring under control and fire investigators will examine its cause.

The fire comes as crews prepare for more extreme weather.

Mildura in Victoria's northwest is expected to top 40C for at least six days in a row beginning on Tuesday.

Melbourne is predicted to reach the high 30s on Tuesday, Saturday and Sunday.