Fire threat eases in the southern states

The bushfire threat in the southern states has eased as rain and cooler weather sweep through the fire-affected areas.

South Australia was enjoying wet weather on Saturday after coming close to a bushfire disaster during the week with record high temperatures and 25,000 lightning strikes causing more than 100 fires.

"Everything is under control," a Country Fire Service spokeswoman told AAP on Saturday.

"The fires are out and it's raining in South Australia."

In Tasmania a fire that destroyed three houses at Dolphin Sands near Swansea on the east coast has been extinguished with rain falling on Saturday putting out any remaining hotspots.

Twenty fire crews fought the blaze which, started around noon on Friday, and burnt about 100 hectares along the Dolphin Sands spit.

Tasmanian Fire Service spokesman Mark Dobson said that apart from the three homes, other assets destroyed in the blaze include a number of cars, tractors and motorcycles.

Rain is forecast to fall in Victoria on Saturday evening and into Sunday morning which will allow the Country Fire Authority (CFA) to continue its clean-up.

The CFA, which had its hands full fighting blazes on pine tree plantations and national parks in the west of the state on Friday, say those fires are now extinguished or under control.

About 100 firefighters had spent Friday attacking a 180-hectare fire near Heywood, north of Portland in the state's west, with a combination of fire breaks, backburning and building a 2.8km containment line.

"We're doing a lot of burn-offs over the weekend taking advantage of the cooler weather," a CFA spokesman said.

"There are fire restrictions coming in soon so it will be our last chance before the season starts."