New South Wales firefighters are expecting another difficult day as massive blazes threaten homes on two sides of Sydney.
A firefighter dowses flames in the area around Sydney (file photo). Firefighters will carry out backburning today to control two massive blazes on two sides of Sydney. Photo: AFP
Conditions have eased since the New South Wales bushfire crisis arrived in Sydney yesterday, but authorities warned that residents were "not out of the woods yet".
Two massive blazes threatened homes on two sides of the city yesterday and fire also crept towards major population centres on the South Coast and Central Coast.
A total fire ban has been declared for areas surrounding the Harbour City today as a deteriorating weather forecast for later today has authorities on high alert.
Several blazes combined north of Sydney yesterday morning to create a 60km "mega fire" that stretches all the way to Singleton, on the banks of the Hunter River. It is now larger in size than the Sydney metropolitan area.
Several suburbs in the south-west were also under threat yesterday as windy conditions blew embers ahead of a fire front in Wollondilly.
However, last night offered some much-needed relief and the total number of fires across NSW dropped.
Firefighters are taking the opportunity to conduct backburning this morning.
"[Last night] they were able to strengthen a number of containment lines ... in preparation of some of those challenging conditions we are expecting this afternoon," Rural Fire Service (RFS) Chief Superintendent Ben Millington told the ABC.
"We're not out of the woods yet. There's a lot of work to be done over the next couple of days before we see a return of those warm and windy conditions."
Chief Superintendent Millington said increased temperatures were expected from next Tuesday.
Today, the temperature in Sydney's CBD is expected to hit 26 degrees Celsius, but closer to the firegrounds at Camden in the south-west there is a forecast high of 34C.
The New England and Northern Slopes regions will also be of particular concern due to very dry conditions.
Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Dean Sgarbossa said while today was expected to be difficult for firefighters, there was good news on the horizon.
"Although we will see a continuation of dry, hot conditions, the winds will ease," he said.
"Some will ease on Saturday but more so on Sunday when the pressure builds over the Tasman Sea, directing lower temperatures, high humidity but lighter winds, particularly over the adjacent coast where many of these fires are located."
Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Dean Sgarbossa said while today was expected to be difficult for firefighters, there was good news on the horizon.
"Although we will see a continuation of dry, hot conditions, the winds will ease," he said.
"Some will ease on Saturday but more so on Sunday when the pressure builds over the Tasman Sea, directing lower temperatures, high humidity but lighter winds, particularly over the adjacent coast where many of these fires are located."
The smoke that has shrouded Sydney on and off for weeks is not going anywhere, however.
Mr Sgarbossa said it would "stagnate" over the Sydney basin and surrounding areas today, before easterly winds tomorrow blow it further inland.
The strong winds had fanned flames towards the south-west Sydney suburbs where Oakdale man Luke Wright yesterday helped save his brother's home.
"It's been going on all day, a fire came from the back and we put it out," he said.
"But then another one came from the side so the firies covered the house in foam.
"The fence has been damaged but that's about it, very lucky."
So far this season, 684 homes have been destroyed by bushfires in NSW.
- ABC
