Crews attended a silo fire at GrainCorp at Murtoa about 1.30pm, while another fire broke out at Balmoral Recreation Reserve about 2.40pm as the mercury pushed 41 degrees.

A third fire started in Ararat Hills Regional Park about 3.15pm. 

Halls Gap Primary School students relocated to the town’s hall because of the extreme fire danger rating.

The Balmoral fire started during a safety briefing when a Country Fire Authority member took a cigarette lighter to long grass.

The blazes led to Murtoa College and Balmoral Community College being evacuated.

All fires were contained by the end of the day. 

Authority district 17 operations manager Dale Russell said Wednesday’s weather was a firefighter’s worst nightmare.

He said the authority’s Fire Danger Index rating system peaked at 120 on Wednesday afternoon.

The trigger for a total fire ban day is 50.

“Considering the weather conditions, there was a lot of good work done by a lot of good people,” Mr Russell said.

GrainCorp corporate affairs manager Luke O’Donnell said the Murtoa fire was in one of the vertical silos at the town’s grain receival site. 

All staff, visitors and growers were evacuated and accounted for. 

Country Fire Authority district 17 duty officer Paul Horton said the fire was contained to an underground area where there was a set of conveyor belts. 

“Temperatures experienced by the crews were above 100 degrees,” he said.

The authority issued a health warning to help the firefighters combat the heat. 

Ambulance Victoria members were also part of the incident’s management team.

Mr Horton said three firefighters were taken to the Wimmera Base Hospital in Horsham for precautionary reasons and were discharged that night.

Fire brigades from Murtoa, Rupanyup, Horsham, Jung, Lubeck and Ballarat attended the incident.

Mr Horton said a specialised unit from Ballarat brought several pieces of equipment to help with the difficult firefight.

“GrainCorp reassured our decision-making on the day, helping us understand the whereabouts of the underground area,” Mr Horton said. 

Murtoa College principal Tony Goodwin said the school took all of the correct safety precautions when Country Fire Authority and State Emergency Service members notified them about the fire. 

The students and teachers evacuated to the Murtoa swimming pool about 1pm. 

“The kids stayed at the pool and swam. We organised for them to be picked up from the pool by parents and buses,” Mr Goodwin said. 

The authority confirmed the dangerous Balmoral blaze was sparked during a safety lecture when a member tried to demonstrate how quickly fuel could burn.

Authority deputy chief officer Alen Slijepcevic told radio station 3AW the man responsible was very embarrassed. "We do apologise to the Balmoral community. Thankfully there was no significant property damage done," he said.

An independent investigation into the blaze is underway and the member has not been stood down.

An Education Department spokesperson said Halls Gap Primary School was right to relocate its students. 

The spokesperson said there was no higher priority than the safety and well-being of students and staff.

“Earlier this year the school worked with the community and emergency services to identify a safe relocation place, and the community hall in the central shopping area was identified as the most suitable,” the spokesperson said.

“The school teaching program will continue as normal in the relocated setting.”

At least seven units battled the Ararat grass fire. 

The blaze was under control at 5.15pm.