Firefighters will try to contain as many fires as they can in Tasmania before the weather heats up again in the island state.

More than 50 fires are raging with 500 firefighters, including some from interstate and New Zealand, spending Australia Day fighting to keep threatened communities safe.

Over the past month, fires have burned through 99,000 hectares.

They also recently forced hundreds of people into evacuation centres and have destroyed a homestead, a shed and a fishing hut.

On Saturday, Tasmania Fire Service’s Deputy Chief Officer Bruce Byatt said there were 52 fires, 23 with active fire edges.

“The key thing we need people to be aware of is even though conditions are milder today, this could be regarded as the ‘eye of the storm’,” he said.

🚒🚒 Soaring temperatures across Australia have sparked bushfires in Tasmania #tasfires pic.twitter.com/KFHoDBRGSt

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Firefighters want to get on top of as many blazes as possible, with the Bureau of Meteorology warning next Wednesday will be another high-temperature day.

The Great Pine Tier fire was almost 40,000 hectares on Saturday, with significant fire activity in the Waddamama area putting communities at risk.

There was also some bitter news.

“Disappointingly, we’ve had reports that a fire has started from a discarded cigarette butt in the Fortescue Bay Road area,” Mr Byatt said.

“We’re still in the middle of a total fire ban and something as small as a cigarette butt carelessly discarded can have catastrophic consequences.”

https://twitter.com/ai6yrham/status/1088671371297619968

Several communities remained at risk from the Great Pine Tier and Riveaux Road/Tahune fire on Saturday evening.
Erratic fire activity in the Tahune area brought the fire front closer to the outer areas of Geeveston and remote area crews have been there around the clock.
A protection plan for the Walls of Jerusalem National Park has been enacted and remote area teams are pushing into the area.
Communities near bushfires are encouraged to remain alert and proactively seek accurate information from the Tasmania Fire Service.
Community meetings will be held in Zeehan, Rosebery, Bothwell, Miena and Maydena on Sunday.

– with AAP