As it happened: Fresh emergency warnings; Cool change sweeps the state; Homes confirmed destroyed as thousands evacuated; Premier announces bushfire crisis support payments

We're going to leave our rolling coverage of the Victorian bushfire crisis there for tonight, thanks for joining us.

We'll return with more live coverage in the morning and in the meantime you can read more about all of today's events here.

In the past 30 minutes a number of new emergency warnings have popped up for multiple areas across Victoria, warning residents to "take shelter now".

There are four major blazes still burning out-of-control across the state and it's now considered "too late to leave" for people near three of them, including:

• Alpine National Park fire - Arbuckle, Billabong, Black Snake Creek, Blomford, Briagolong, Budgee Budgee, Castleburn, Cobbannah, Cowa, Crooked River, Dargo, Gibbs, Glenaladale, Grant, Hawkhurst, Hogtown, Howittville, Hunter Corner, Iguana Creek, Maguires, Miowera, Moornapa, Moroka, Naarun, Peter the Swede, Shepherdson, Talbotville, Toolome, Treasure, Treasures, Valencia Creek, Waterford, Winchester, Wongungarra, Woolenook, Wrathung.
• Longwood fire - Acheron, Limestone, Whanregarwen, Yea.
• Walwa fire - Biggara, Corryong, Cudgewa, Pine Mountain, Thowgla, Thowgla Valley, Tintaldra, Tom Groggin, Towong.

The Ravenswood South grass fire is also still out-of-control and heading in an easterly direction. This has sparked a warning to "leave immediately" for those in Elphinstone, Harcourt North, Metcalfe, Sedgwick and Sutton Grange.

Today's total fire bans will remain in place across Victoria on Saturday.

This means no fires can be lit or be allowed to remain alight in the open air from 12.01am through until 11.59pm.

But in a glimmer of hope after the difficult conditions over the last few days, the CFA's map for Saturday shows the whole state is down to the yellow-toned "High" level.

This follows from today's red "Catastrophic" and orange "Extreme" fire danger across the state.

By Sunday, the map shows shades of "Moderate" green with no total fire ban as yet declared for the end of the weekend.

Residents in Cathkin, Caveat, Ghin Ghin, Highlands, Kanumbra, Killingworth, Koriella, Molesworth, Whanregarwen and Yarck have been told it's "too late to leave".

The out-of-control Longwood bushfire is travelling in a south-easterly direction towards Eildon and is threatening homes and lives.

People are being asked to "take shelter now".

Just hours after pleading with Victorians to heed warnings from emergency services, premier Jacinta Allan has doubled down while revealing her own community is being evacuated.

"I've just received another briefing by the Emergency Management Commissioner at the State Control Centre," Allan wrote on social media.

"So many communities across Victoria are being told to leave tonight, including mine.

"I'm thinking about my neighbours. Friends. And all families across the state facing the same decision - leaving homes they love to protect the people they love most.

"I cannot be any clearer.

"If you are told to leave - do not wait. Follow the advice. Leave now."

The good news of fires being downgraded continues after a cool change swept across the state.

Streatham and Bamganie in the state's south-west, as well as Muckatah in Victoria's north-east, have all had their warning levels reduced, leaving just four bushfires currently at emergency levels.

That's after seven emergency level fires earlier in the day.

An emergency warning for the Natimuk blaze, near Horsham, has been downgraded to a watch and act.

The fire is still uncontrolled, but firefighters have been able to slow the spread of fire in the Quantong, Vectis area, for the time being.

Authorities have warned the fire could flare back up at any time and the situation remains dangerous.

Residents in Duchembegarra, East Natimuk, Grass Flat, Lower Norton, Natimuk, Quantong, Vectis, Vectis East, Vectis South should stay near shelter and monitor conditions.

"Staying close to a building where you can shelter is the safest option, as conditions can change suddenly," The CFA advised.

"If you are away from home, do not return".

Those on the outer perimeter of the potential impact zone, in Arapiles, Bungalally, Dooen, Horsham, Kalkee, Nurrabiel, Riverside, can resume normal activities.

In some positive news, the threat level for three fires in East Gippsland has been reduced.

The blazes, near Orbost, Cabbage Creek, and Genoa were sparked last night, potentially as a result of dry lightning in the landscape.

"People located within the area are now able to resume normal activities, Fire Forest Management Victoria said.

Crews will continue to monitor the area.

Other bushfires sparked by lightning at Mallacoota have not yet been controlled, with a fire suppression aircraft trying to control flames.

There is no current threat to residents, but they are advised to stay informed ahead of extreme fire weather expected tomorrow.

Kelly Coutts-Smith and her family live near the mammoth Walwa blaze that continues to spread across north-east parts of the state.

As night falls and a wind change looms, they're anxiously waiting to see how close the blaze will come to their home.

"We're looking at leaving if we get any indication that it is coming our way but other than that we are watching very closely," she said.

"It's the oppressive heat of summer and you sort of get that feeling 'right - okay, something is going to happen'."

An imminent wind change is expected to shift the direction of fire fronts across the state.

For the Longwood fire, that means the blaze is set to head back in the direction it came, sparking emergency shelter warnings for many towns already impacted by the fire.

The wind change means the fire could return north-east towards Strathbogie, sparking an emergency warning for anyone in Caveat, Creightons Creek, Dropmore, Gobur, Gooram, Highlands, Kanumbra, Kelvin View, Locksley, Longwood, Longwood East, Ruffy, Strathbogie, Tarcombe, Terip Terip and Upton Hill.

The south-westerly wind change is expected to pass over the Walwa fire in the earlier hours of the morning, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.