VIDEO: Bushfire emergencies re-emerge

5.30PM UPDATE:

The run down on the major fires burning in NSW as of 5:30pm on Thursday: 

The State Mine fire/Mount York fire -an emergency warning is currently in place for these fires burning in the Blue Mountains which were linked by the Rural Fire Service as part of their fire fighting operations. Fire activity has intensified this afternoon under strong and gusty south westerly winds. It is burning along the Bells Line of Road and near the townships of Mount Irvine, Mount Wilson, Mount Tomah and Berambing.
Springwood fire - continues to burn near Springwood and Faulconbridge and has burnt through more than 3,000 hectares. There has been increased fire activity again this afternoon but it remains within containment lines and it is currently on 'watch and act' level.
Gateshead fire - burning south of Newcastle, in the area of Dudley and Readhead, the alert level for this fire has been downgraded through the day to 'watch and act' but the winds have picked up and residents are being urge to remain vigilant.
Southern Highlands fire - still burns near the villages of Yerrinbool, Balmoral, Yanderra, Phesants Nest, Wilton, Bargo and Buxton with 200 fire fighters on the ground. 

4.20PM UPDATE:

Joining NSW Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons says the State Mine fire is burning along the Bells Line of Road. An emergency warning is in place for areas around Mount Irvine, Mount Wilson, Mount Tomah and Berambing.

Mr Fitzsimmons says for those living in Mount Wilson and Mount Irvine it is too late to leave, fire has crossed the evacuation path and residents who have stayed in the area should take shelter as the fire approaches.

An RFS investigation into the cause of the State Mine fire, which began a week ago and has destroyed three homes, has determined the blaze was started by the Defence Force.

Acting Defence Force chief Air Marshall Mark Binksin has attended the 3:30pm briefing with Mr Fitzsimmons where says Defence accepts responsibility for the fire which began as part of a training exercise.

"We are concerned with where the fire has burned, and we are not shying away from our responsibilities here," he said. "This was not deliberately starting a fire, it was an accident as part of an important training exercise"

Defence is carrying out their own investigation incident so any important lessons that need to be learned, can be.

He also revealed defence personnel were among those affected by fires around Winmalee, Springwood and Faulconbridge. 

EARLIER

An army training exercise caused a massive fire in the Blue Mountains that ripped through more than 47,000 hectares of bushland last week, a Rural Fire Service investigation has found.

The Defence Department initially refused to comment except to say its own investigation into an explosives training exercise at the Marrangaroo training area, north of Lithgow, was ongoing.

A Rural Fire Service spokesman said of the blaze which before Wednesday had destroyed three homes, damaged one other and burnt down seven sheds or businesses.

Video of the State Mine Fire near Lithgow, as captured from the air.

But the RFS on Wednesday confirmed the fire began on the Australian Defence Force range and was sparked by explosive devices. ''That was the result of our investigation,'' an RFS spokesman said.

The Defence Department released a statement on Wednesday saying it was aware of the Rural Fire Services view and the department continued to ''co-operate fully with NSW authorities investigating the State Mine fire, including the NSW Police Force investigators who will prepare a report for the Coroner''.

There was no total fire ban in the area when the Defence exercised were conducted.

Fairfax Media can also reveal that army ranges across Australia are failing to develop bushfire plans in accordance with Defence rules. A source with close knowledge of army training area management said Defence brass knew of the shortcomings in setting up bushfire plans but had not acted because of a lack of resources.

''There is just an amazingly casual approach to the whole thing, with no mitigation plans in place at all,'' the source, who requested anonymity, said. ''They have known for a couple of years that these plans don't exist but they don't do anything about it because there is no money. They are supposed to have site-specific fire management plans.''

Army personnel who expressed concern about the lack of fire management plans had been told ''don't worry … we will get to it'', the source said. But leaked internal Defence correspondence, seen by Fairfax Media, indicates that Defence's Directorate of Training Area Management knew that ranges across Australia had failed to implement bushfire plans, even though such plans were demanded in a 2011 fire protection manual.

Even the use of basic measures like creating fire breaks had been inconsistent, the source said. Chapter seven of the Training Area Management Manual states that ''the nature of Defence activities carries an inherent risk of starting [bushfires] … and there must be a site bushfire management plan''. These are supposed to include emergency response plans and bushfire awareness training for personnel.

Fairfax Media has confirmed that Defence also started a bushfire at the weekend in South Australia through an explosives exercise. A spokesman for the South Australian Country Fire Service confirmed that Defence had been responsible for starting a fire at the Cultana training area, south of Port Augusta, on Saturday and that it was ''part of an exercise''.

CFS crews had to send two bulk water carriers to battle the fire that took hold of scrubland within the army range but quickly brought it under control.

The training area manual states that ''commanders are to balance the urgency of any planned live-fire activities against the level of risk of starting a wildfire or bushfire''.

The rules on when live-fire exercises can be carried out are unclear. One section states that they should not be carried out without ''an authorised operational imperative'' if the fire danger is at a ''high'' level or above. A different section says they should not be conducted when there is a total fire ban.