By Melissa Brown, ABC
Photo: Supplied/ ABC News
Australian firefighters are continuing to battle a bushfire that spread rapidly toward properties in the state of Victoria's Otways area this weekend.
The Carlisle River fire spread to within a kilometre of the town of Gellibrand on Sunday morning after gusty winds and heat on Saturday afternoon.
An Emergency Warning for the town was downgraded to a Watch and Act around 1.50pm on Sunday as conditions eased in the firefighters' favour, but the blaze was yet to be declared as under control.
Photo: Supplied/ ABC News - Open Street Map contributors
Residents who evacuated the fire zone were being told it was not yet safe to return.
Country Fire Authority chief officer Jason Heffernan said the fire nearly doubled in size on Saturday, burning through private property.
"The fire conditions yesterday were very severe, so I wouldn't be surprised to hear things about sheds and outbuildings being impacted, but currently there are no reported homes being affected," he said.
"Spotfires did occur in and around the Gellibrand community and firefighters were engaged in active property protection."
Victorian Forest Fire Management chief fire officer Chris Hardman said rapid impact assessment teams were trying to move through the area to confirm whether there had been any property losses.
"We're less likely to see that fire swe
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