A fifth house has been lost in Victoria's bushfire emergency as firefighters continue to battle an out-of-control blaze north of Melbourne.

Residents spent another day on edge as the bushfire threatened their homes near the town of Benloch.

Hundreds of people still do not know whether their houses have survived the blaze because roadblocks remain in place.

A helicopter protecting a home off Burke and Wills Track at Benloch Photo: Penny Stephens

But authorities have confirmed that five houses, 19 sheds, two vehicles and farm equipment have been destroyed. Kilometres of fencing have also been lost.

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There are fears that toll could rise as people return to the area.

Windy conditions have eased across the state, but temperatures have risen to 35 in the north-west.

A family protecting their home off Burke and Wills Track at Benloch Photo: Penny Stephens

More than 150 firefighters spent the night in rocky, hilly country north of Lancefield, and are using bulldozers to dig a track around the 61-kilometre perimeter of the 2700-hectare fire, which has been burning out of control since Tuesday.

Crews planned to burn out an area of bushland two kilometres south-east of Benloch on Friday morning.

​But the Country Fire Authority has assured residents in the area that it is safe to conduct the burn-off.

Firefighters have established 25 kilometres of "control line" so far, but a watch-and-act message remains in place for the towns of Benloch, Pastoria East, Pastoria, Nulla Vale, Baynton, Baynton East, Sidonia and Emu Flat.

The fire was sparked by a controlled burn-off in Cobaw that jumped containment lines during the AFL grand final on Saturday afternoon. 

Residents are furious that the controlled burn-off went ahead, with some calling for "heads to roll" at the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning.

The state government has announced that an external review into the fire will be led by Western Australia's Office of Bushfire Risk Management Murray Carter.

A community meeting will be held at Lancefield Mechanics Institute at 2pm on Friday, while a residents' meeting will be at the Benloch Fire Station at 4.30pm.

More than 100 firefighters have gained the upper hand at Tallarook, where a fire is now burning within containment lines.

- with AAP