Firefighters battle big bushfire in Victoria

(AAP) - Communities in southwestern Victoria are on alert after an annual controlled burn got out of hand.
Portland, Curries, Lower Cape Bridgewater, Tarragal, Cashmore, Gorae West and Mount Richmond Trewalla are among the communities placed on alert.
The fire has burnt out 625 hectares of bushland in crown land and part of a blue gum plantation.
A Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) spokeswoman says a lone house in the middle of bushland is under threat but is being defended by Country Fire Authority (CFA) firefighters.
"We are asking people to monitor conditions, check their bushfire survival plan and, if they don't have a plan, to decide what they will do if the situation changes," she said.
"At this stage, it is still burning but not causing any major concerns to those communities."
Heli-tanker Elvis has been brought in to help fight the fire, along with 10 other water-bombing aircraft.
The DSE says there have been two community meetings in the area to update residents on the fire's progress.
A southeasterly wind change is expected at 8pm (AEST) on Monday, before shifting to a northwesterly six hours later.
The burnback operation was part of an annual controlled burning program which ran into problems about 3.30pm (AEDT) on Sunday.
About 100 firefighters from the DSE and the CFA have built a seven-kilometre control line around the fire.