Emergency services issued evacuation alerts for four bushfires burning out of control in Victoria's south-west in the early hours of Sunday morning.

As of 12:00am fires were burning in and around the towns of Gazzette, Garvoc, Gnotuk, Ayrford, Hawkesdale and Terang.

Residents in Gazzette were advised to leave the area if it was safe to do so as a fire travelled in a south-easterly direction towards Penshurst.

Residents in Garvoc were also advised to evacuate as a grassfire fire moves towards the town.

Emergency services said the fire at Hawkesdale was travelling in a south-easterly direction towards the town centre and residents were urged to seek shelter at the Arc Gymnasium Stadium on Caramut Road in Warrnambool.

Residents in Terang were being urged to seek shelter indoors because it was too late to leave the area.

An evacuation alert was issued for Gnotuk and its surrounding suburbs, while another alert was in place for a fire in burning in Ayrford that was expected to impact communities in the coming hours.

Residents who were unable to leave were advised to close all exterior doors, windows, vents and turn off cooling systems, and shelter in a room that had a door or a window to the outside.

A total fire ban was declared for the state's south-west and central Victoria, including Melbourne and Geelong.