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At least three homes have been destroyed by a South Coast fire that has blazed through more than 5000 hectares of land, the NSW Rural Fire Service says, as the prime minister and NSW premier visit the region.<\/p>\n
More than 800 firefighters and emergency service personnel worked through the night to protect homes in rural areas and seaside hamlets near Bermagui.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Beachgoers look on as a fire burnt on the South Coast on Tuesday.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>James Brickwood<\/cite><\/p>\n The alert for the Coolagolite fire was downgraded from emergency to watch and act about 1.30am on Wednesday, after a southerly came through the area about midnight. It was again downgraded to advice just after midday, as firefighters worked to contain the blaze with aircraft.<\/p>\n NSW RFS spokeswoman Angela Burford said bushfire burnt through more than 5000 hectares of land near Bermagui, but crews were helped when cooler temperatures, increased humidity and scattered rainfall came through the area.<\/p>\n \u201cFirefighters were given the chance to slow the fire because, prior to that, they were all set up for property protection,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Coolagolite was one of the many towns that suffered during the 2019\/20 summer bushfire crisis.<\/p>\n Al Ramos said firefighters told him to evacuate Dybara Park Cottages in Barragga Bay, 30 kilometres south of Narooma, about 2pm on Tuesday.<\/p>\n \u201cI spent all night waiting for news and I\u2019m still waiting,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cI went to Narooma overnight and slept in my car. I drove back today but the fire brigade has still blocked the roads so I\u2019m now in Bermagui. I don\u2019t know if my property was saved or burned.\u201d<\/p>\n The South Coast blaze came after a fast-moving grass fire north of Mudgee in the Central West destroyed buildings and stock on Monday afternoon.<\/p>\n Extreme fire danger ratings were in place for Sydney and the Hunter region on Tuesday night as well as a swathe of the state\u2019s interior stretching from the lower Central West plains to the Queensland border.<\/p>\n Temperatures reached 37.2 degrees at Sydney Airport about 2.30pm on Tuesday, with the city centre, Penrith, Gosford and Nowra all cracking 35 degrees.<\/p>\n Those highs are as much as 15 degrees above the October average maximum for the same locations, sparking dozens of new fires across the state.<\/p>\n As of 1.00pm, there were 62 bush and grass fires burning across the state with 22 yet to be contained. The Greater Hunter, Northern Slopes and North Western regions have total fire bans in place; the Greater Sydney region has a high fire danger rating.<\/p>\n An aerial of the Coolagolite fire burning near homes late Wednesday morning.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>NSW RFS<\/cite><\/p>\n \u201cFriday is when we will see a return to low to moderate fire danger,\u201d Burford said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe southerly will very slowly move throughout south and western NSW and it\u2019s very variable.\u201d<\/p>\n Burford said firefighters would be alert to a number of fires in the north-eastern part of the state on Wednesday and there was still a risk some blazes could flare up to emergency levels.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Kearsley fire near Cessnock came very close to property [on Tuesday] and it was at an emergency level. That fire is not yet contained,\u201d Burford said.<\/p>\n The emergency warnings are among the first for this bushfire season, which is expected to be the worst since the 2019\/20 Black Summer.<\/p>\n The largest uncontrolled fire near Bredbo in the Snowy-Monaro region tripled in size to 1140 hectares under strong winds as firefighters, heavy machinery and aircraft tried to strengthen containment lines on Tuesday.<\/p>\n Winds exceeding 100km\/h tore roofs off hotels and ski lodges at Smiggin Holes, Lake Crackenback and Perisher Valley.<\/p>\n NSW Premier Chris Minns said forecasts of a \u201chorrific\u201d bushfire season was one of the things that kept him up at night.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t want anybody to get over-confident \u2013 this could be a really tough bushfire season,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The premier and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese are visiting the South Coast on Wednesday to inspect the damage from the early fires.<\/p>\n \u201cWe know that the summer that we\u2019re anticipating \u2013 and indeed it would appear we\u2019re in right now even though it\u2019s only October \u2013 is going to present some real challenges,\u201d Albanese said.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is one of the reasons my government, together with state and territory governments, are determined to act on climate change. We also need to deal with the here and now and to improve preparedness.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n