By Adrian Black

Uncontrolled bushfires are raging in different corners of the nation with “leave immediately” warnings issued for more towns in what is shaping up to be difficult emergency season ahead.

A fast-growing fire in Victoria’s Grampians National Park razed 28,000 hectares by Saturday morning despite firefighters best efforts to battle the blaze overnight.

Residents in the nearby towns of Bellfield, Halls Gap, Lake Fyans, Pomonal, Mafeking and Watgania have all been told to leave immediately.

More than 28,000 hectares have been burned by an out-of-control bushfire in the Grampians.  (Vic Emergency)

Emergency services said firefighters have been able to slow the spread of fire, but warned it won’t be contained for weeks and the situation can change at any time.

Emergency warnings are also in place for residents in The Gurdies in South Gippsland as another fire northwest of Melbourne at Bullengarook in the Macedon region downgrades to watch-and-act.

Firefighters in Western Australia and NSW have brought scores of fires under control in recent days, but temperatures in the high 30s and low 40s are expected to hit the west coast over the weekend before pushing eastward.

“The heat really building, though in WA, a very hot day on the way across much of our West Coast,” bureau meteorologist Dean Narramore said.

Elevated fire dangers are forecast for the south of WA with dry thunderstorms possible for western parts.

Heatwave conditions are also persisting across the state’s midwest affecting Mingenew and Coral Bay as well as the Kimberley and Pilbara regions.

Above-average temperatures are predicted for the 2024-25 summer in many parts of the nation, according to long-range forecasts from the Bureau of Meteorology, underscoring a grim outlook from emergency services.