Firefighters say the NSW bushfire crisis is far from over as they use cooler weather to make crucial preparations before deteriorating conditions return.
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NSW Rural Fire Service deputy commissioner Rob Rogers says the immediate bushfire threat hasn't passed for areas such as the Blue Mountains.
"The next few days are going to be very important to try and get (back burns) in place and then hopefully it won't be so much of a risk as we go into the next batch of warm weather, looking like Sunday-Monday into next week," he told reporters on Monday.
The current bushfire crisis could stretch on for weeks, with long-term weather forecasts not predicting significant rainfalls until January or February.
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Firefighters say heavy rainfall is needed to help extinguish massive fires such as the 488,000-hectare Gospers Mountain blaze.
Damage assessment teams are expected to confirm around 100 homes have been destroyed in bushfires since Thursday.
Most of the losses were from the huge Gospers Mountain blaze northwest of Sydney, the Green Wattle Creek fire southwest of the city and the Currowan bushfire on the South Coast.
Mid-Western Regional Council Mayor Des Kennedy says five homes have been lost around the town of Ilford.
"I think we've lost five homes in the Ilford - Razorback - Running Stream area at the moment," he told reporters.
"Luckily, no fatalities, no loss of life or bad injuries."
There were some 92 fires burning across the state on Monday night, all of them at an "advice" alert level.
Fire danger ratings are very high in the central ranges and southern slopes regions on Tuesday, and are between high and moderate across the rest of NSW.
Australian Associated Press
