Twenty-two rural firefighters from New Zealand will fly to Australia on Thursday to help contain bushfires across the state.
Victoria's Fire Services Commissioner has requested New Zealand help in Gippsland, east of Melbourne, where several fires have been burning for the past 10 days.
New Zealand's National Rural Fire Officer Murray Dudfield says crews will fill in for the exhausted Australian force while they rest.
"We've had assistance from Australia with Pike River and the Christchurch earthquake and this is just one way of returning that support going the other way. It's a true Anzac alliance."
Mr Dudfield says 21 more people will leave for Australia on Monday.
