NSW firies battle 60 blazes, homes saved

More than 60 bushfires across NSW that threatened homes on Sunday have authorities
worried that a destructive summer lies ahead if conditions persist.
The mercury soared on Saturday and Sunday, bringing hot and windy weather to many
parts of the state accompanied by bushfires that continue to rage out of control.
Around 800 firefighters from the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) battled the 60 blazes
that ignited along the state's coast on Sunday.
They were aided by 14 water-bombing aircraft with efforts focused on 20 of the fires
that threatened homes, properties and other infrastructure.
Flames came within metres of 30 homes at Guerilla Bay, south of Batemans Bay, on the
NSW south coast. Many residents fled the area but others defended their properties.
Fire crews used backhoes and aircraft water-bombed a strip of grassland separating
bushland to save the threatened homes.
In the NSW far southeast, a fire in the Eurobodalla area, west of Central Tilba, has
been burning since late August and broke containment lines on Sunday. It has
scorched more than 3,000ha.
Difficult terrain and erratic weather prevented ground crews from safely battling
the fire but water-bombing aircraft managed to prevent damage to a property that
came under threat.
At Bobs Farm, in the Port Stephens area near Newcastle, another fire that started on
Sunday threatened a property near Marsh Road before crews got the upper hand and
prevented any damage.
All three fires continue to burn out of control.
RFS spokeswoman Rebel Talbert said the early start to the bushfire season could turn
disastrous as summer approached.
"It's concerning to have this many fires at this time of year" Ms Talbert told AAP.
"It does indicate that unless we get some significant rain that we're going to be in
for a very long, hot fire season."
The hot spring conditions also caused concern that extreme weather may descend on
NSW thanks to global weather patterns.
"The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) is still indicating that an El Nino event is likely
to form and with that brings hotter and drier conditions," Ms Talbert said.
The RFS declared a total fire ban until midnight on Sunday across Sydney, the
Central Coast, the Blue Mountains and the Central West including the towns of Dubbo
and Parkes.
The ban came after the BoM advised initial forecasts of hot, dry and windy
conditions were expected to worsen and cause an extreme fire danger across many
parts of the state.