Bushfires have destroyed at least 25 properties in regional Victoria, near the state’s famed Grampians National Park northwest of Melbourne.

“At the moment, we are partway through an impact assessment and believe there are 24 homes lost in Pomonal and one in Dadswell Bridge,” a spokesperson for Emergency Management Victoria told insuranceNEWS.com.au this afternoon. “We will know more as the assessment continues.”

Insurers are “closely monitoring” the situation in Pomonal, a spokesperson for the Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) said.

“Our members are ready to respond to claims when they come in ... right now, the safety of the community is our number one priority, and we encourage impacted residents to listen to the advice of emergency services,” the spokesperson told insuranceNEWS.com.au.

“At this stage, claim numbers are low, but this may be subject to change as conditions begin to improve in the coming days and weeks. ICA understands that authorities hope to start damage assessments today, noting the bushfires remain active.”

Yesterday, the Bureau of Meteorology issued catastrophic fire danger warnings for the Wimmera region. It said some districts faced extreme fire risk, with the conditions driven by hot winds ahead of a cold front crossing southeast Australia today.

The VicEmergency website this afternoon shows the bushfire threat for Pomonal and nearby areas has been changed to “stay informed” from “watch and act”. There is a bushfire at Bellfield in the Grampians National Park that is not yet under control. “Firefighters have been able to slow the spread of fire for now, but the situation can change at any time,” the advisory says.