<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It was a sleepless night for dozens of residents in Melbourne's east who had to evacuate their homes as a bushfire tore through the area.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>One property in Montrose was destroyed, while another was significantly damaged.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Kerri Maggs said it was "quite scary."</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The kids were quite frightened. Our daughter was absolutely hysterical," she said</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Dozens of residents were forced to evacuate their homes.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I went outside and the fire was like 100 metres away, the whole sky was red," local Cas Churchill said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The fire had flared up there were embers coming across.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/bushfire-montrose-melbourne/f247a6da-642e-4ad7-8fc6-cf564910b18a" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The first alert that came through on the phones was at 1.20am. Almost an hour and a half after the fire was right on our door."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Val Platt said there was little warning.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We were in bed and I heard somebody yelling about getting out now," she said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The fire began early yesterday afternoon and CFA crews thought they had it under control.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But with a change in conditions overnight it doubled in size, burning 40 hectares.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The fact that the wind conditions actually picked up and with the dryness and the uphill run, it just took off this morning," deputy incident controller Mike Wilmott said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>An evacuation centre was set up at a Kilsyth reserve where 25 residents took shelter.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Today most were able to go home as the emergency warning was downgraded.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>With wet weather bringing relief for crews, the clean-up began.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Even with the rain, residents in the area were still being urged to monitor conditions as they could change, but the CFA says they're hoping they'll have the fire well under control by tomorrow at the latest.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The cause of the bushfire is still being investigated.</span></div></div>