Plumes of smoke can be seen from a fire near Heatherbrae which has forced the closure of Williamtown Airport in Newcastle. Picture: RFS Alerts Source: Twitter
A fire map image supplied by NSW Rural Fire Service of the Lithgow bushfire. Picture: RFS website Source: Supplied
CONDITIONS are "rapidly deteriorating" as almost 600 firefighters are thrown into the battle against almost 80 fires across NSW.
Across the state 595 firefighters were battling 78 bush and grassfires, 31 of them uncontained.
Conditions were "rapidly deteriorating" at 2.30pm (AEST) with strong, hot and dry winds hampering firefighting efforts.
Five fires were at emergency warning status.
NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell has encouraged MPs whose electorates are affected by bushfires to leave parliament and help where they can.
"There is not much we can do except wish those extraordinary volunteers and paid firefighters out there every success and every luck," he said.
"There have been suggestions already that some of these fires may well be the result of arson.
"Hopefully that is not true; hopefully it is down to today's weather conditions."
Bushfires Southern Highlands. Traffic is halted 2kms outside of Bargo turnoff as a bushfire runs through Balmoral Village and Yanderra. Source: Supplied
The premier said a southerly change was not expected in Sydney until 5pm.
"Until that stage, this city can't rest easy," he said.
"There are parts of the state where currently residents are battling the uncertainty of the outbreak of these fires and our hearts and our thoughts are with them."
About 8700 homes west, south west and north of Sydney are without power, with wind gusts of up to 70km/h bringing branches down on powerlines.
Do you have photos of the fires or today's sky? Send them to photo@dailytelegraph.com.au
Endeavour Energy on Thursday advised members of the public to stay well clear of fallen powerlines.
It has also advised residents in Lithgow, where a bushfire is burning, that it might need to isolate parts of its network as the fire passes through.
In the Blue Mountains, power has been cut to about 4500 homes and businesses in Katoomba, Winmalee and parts of Leura, Blackheath and Mt Victoria.
Traffic is halted 2km outside of Bargo turnoff as a bushfire runs through Balmoral Village and Yanderra in the Southern Highlands. Source: Supplied
In the Macarthur region, crews are working to restore power to about 1600 homes and businesses.
The worst affected areas at this stage are Wilton, Menangle and parts of Campbelltown.
In the Hawkesbury, strong wind has interrupted electricity supply to 1300 homes along the Hawkesbury River from Lower Portland and Maroota to St Albans.
Fallen powerlines can be reported by calling 131 003.
In the Southern Highlands, south-west of Sydney, a fire at the village of Balmoral, in Wingecarribee, was moving very quickly.
The scene of one of the fires burning in NSW Source: Twitter
Rural Fire Service spokesman Joel Kursawe says there are reports one house is on fire.
"They're saying that one house is already alight, that could be because the house was alight and it's spread, or not, we don't know," he told reporters.
"It's all happened very quickly."
Attempts to waterbomb in Lithgow were being hindered by 90km winds, Mr Kursawe said, which were also capable of carrying embers up to six kilometres.
Smoke from rhe Balmoral Village and Yanderra bushfire blankets the horizon. Source: Supplied
"The problem is when you've got aircraft over fires like that with (those) winds, a lot of the time they're just getting knocked around in the sky," Mr Kursawe told journalists at RFS headquarters in Sydney.
RURAL FIRE SERVICE MAP OF CURRENT FIRES AND INCIDENTS
Homes at Clarence, Dargan, Doctors Gap and Hartley are expected to come under threat from the fire, which has already burnt more than 1000 hectares of bushland.
Two evacuation centres have been set up at Lithgow Workers Club and Mt Tomah Botanic Gardens.
Meanwhile, more than 130 firefighters are fighting the blaze near Port Stephens.
"Some of the pictures we're getting from up there, it's just incredible," Mr Kursawe said.
"It's just a mass smoke cloud over the whole town."
The fire at Balmoral Village was approaching the township of Yanderra and residents were being urged to move towards Bargo.
A total fire ban remains in place for several areas of the state with temperatures of 34C forecast.
It was nudging 34C in Sydney at 1pm (AEDT) with gusty winds.
The Heatherbrae bushfire near Williamtown Airport in Newcastle. Picture: Twitter Source: Twitter
Of most concern to firefighters are three fires.
In the Blue Mountains west of Sydney, near Lithgow, more than 100 firefighters are battling a massive blaze that is skirting the village of Oaky Park and spotting into Clarence.
A new fire had also broken out at Springwood.
RFS deputy commissioner Rob Rogers tweeted: "lithgow fire becoming unpredictable. Residents please take extreme care. Very serious danger to life today".
"The sky is very dark with the sun burning orange through the dark smoke," the resident told ABC radio.
Bells Line of Road has been closed between Lithgow and Bell in both directions.
The Darling Causeway is closed northbound at the Great Western Highway in Mount Victoria.
Blue Mountains Regional Manager Geoff Luscombe said all tracks and trails in the Grose Valley, as well as lookouts along the Bells Line of Road, are now closed as a precautionary measure.
"With a very high fire danger rating there's always a chance that the Lithgow fire could enter the park and if that happens we don't want people walking in there,'' he said.
Residents who hadn't already evacuated before noon were advised to take shelter in their homes.
And at Port Stephens, north of Newcastle, Williamtown Airport was closed about midday and all flights in and out were suspended because of a bushfire burning nearby.
Passengers are advised to not come to the airport and to contact their airline for flight details.
Smoke from the Port Stephens fires, not far from where four homes were lost on Sunday, was visible from the Newcastle CBD.
The dramatic scene at Williamtown Airport, Newcastle. Picture: Twitter @WynRichards Source: Supplied
Similar conditions on Sunday resulted in six homes being lost to fires at Port Stephens, north of Newcastle, and near Kempsey on the north coast.
The airport was closed after a fire burning near Heatherbrae breached containment lines fanned by gusty winds, the RFS said.
Properties around Tomago Road, Cabbage Tree Road, Barrie Close, and Williamtown Drive may also come under threat, the RFS warns.
Smoke from the fire is visible from the Newcastle CBD.
In the Blue Mountains region, residents of Clarence and Oaky Park have been urged to seek shelter and protect themselves from flying embers, with properties there expected to be threatened.
Those who had planned to leave their homes in a bushfire should have left by noon (AEDT), NSW Fire Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said.
Conditions were worsening with winds expected to reach up to 95km/h.
"History will show, too many lives are lost when people flee at the last minute,'' he said.
The fire broke out near an army range on Wednesday afternoon, with explosions and detonations making it too dangerous to send in firefighters and aircraft.
Mr Fitzsimmons says the fire would take some time to control given the sweltering conditions and its geographic location.
It's expected to skirt to the northeast of Lithgow and head into the mountains as the winds pick up.
Conditions were worsening this afternoon with winds expected to reach up to 95km/h.
If the high winds do fan the blaze, it could disrupt the Western rail line through the area, Mr Fitzsimmons said.
A 367-hectare bushfire is also burning 15km east of Singleton, in the Hunter Valley, but is being controlled.
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