A bushfire zone that was once contained to the Mt Cole area this afternoon now includes the township of Beaufort.
Beaufort, which lies to the north-west of Ballarat, is home to over 4600 people with the CFA saying residents should now leave immediately and head towards Ballarat.
An emergency warning has been issued for Ballyrogan, Bayindeen, Beaufort, Buangor, Buangor East, Challicum, Cross Roads, Eurambeen, Lake Goldsmith, Langi Kal Kal, Main Lead, Middle Creek, Mount Cole, Nerring, Raglan, Shirley, Stockyard Hill, Trawalla, Waterloo and Yalla-y-poora.
A relief centre has been set up at the Learmonth Football Ground on High Street.
Meantime, the skies over Ballarat have darkened with the smoke from the fire with reports of embers in the centre of the city.
