Summarize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs “This grassfire is travelling from Paynes Bridge Road in a south-easterly direction towards Shelford,” the warning said.State Control Centre spokesman Luke Heagerty said much of Victoria was experiencing hot, dry and windy conditions, and dry lightning was moving through parts of the state including the Little Desert National Park.“In particular for tourists and campers in that area, our advice is to leave now,” Heagerty said about 3pm.The Little Desert fire which was burning out of control on Monday.Credit: State Control Centre“This fire is growing quickly and burning through the national park, and the best place for you to be is away from the park.”Crews were trying to slow the spread of the fire but, given the area’s dryness and the strength of the winds, the blaze could reach private land, Heagerty said.About midday on Monday, meteorologist Dean Narramore said hot, dry and windy conditions would make any substantial fires “uncontrollable and uncontainable”.However, isolated thunderstorms hit Melbourne about mid-morning, as emergency services worried about dry lightning sparking fires in the tinder-dry western districts before the heat and wind intensified.About 4.15pm, AusNet reported about 5300 customers were without power.Heagerty described Monday as a “reverse Boxing Day” as holidaymakers headed home after the long weekend, rather than travelling away from home as many did on December 26.“Lots of people on the road today means people need to be aware of conditions around them,” he said.The Bureau of Meteorology forecasts that Monday’s cool change will hit Melbourne about 6pm, causing temperatures to fall by 10 to 15 degrees in just 15 to 20 minutes.But strong winds are predicted to come with the change. On Sunday, meteorologist Lincoln Trainor warned those in Melbourne’s bayside suburbs that gusts could reach 80 km/h from 5pm into the evening.Meanwhile, early morning walkers in Elwood were greeted with an unusual sight on Monday: a four-wheel drive became bogged on the beach’s shoreline.Today reporter Christine Ahern was reporting about the hot weather forecast when a cameraman spotted the car stuck on the water’s edge around dawn.The driver, Mohammed, appeared on a live cross later, telling Ahern he was from NSW and was confident he could get his car out of the sand. “People go to the moon. All those things get done. Am I going to be able to get a car out of the water? Come on,” he said.A bulldozer later towed the car away.Elsewhere, metropolitan firefighters were kept busy overnight as a blaze destroyed a house in Lady Nelson Way, Taylors Lakes, about 3am.In a statement, Fire Rescue Victoria said a “significant structural collapse” initially stopped crews from entering the two-storey home, but they eventually declared the fire under control at 3.43am.“It has not been established if there was anyone inside. However, there are signs of [the house] being abandoned,” FRV said.The aftermath of the fire in Taylors Lakes on Monday morning.Credit: Paul Rovere
