Authorities have confirmed almost 1700 NSW houses have been destroyed this fire season as crews use cooler weather to their advantage.
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A total fire ban is in place for the southern slopes, one of three districts west of the Great Diving Range subject to "very high" fire danger.
More showers are possible across the south coast on Wednesday after up to 3mm fell in parts of the Shoalhaven and the Bega Valley was sprinkled with 0.5mm on Tuesday.
The conditions have been used to good effect by fire crews, according to Emergency Services Minister David Elliott.
Noting another hot day is forecast for Friday, he hopes fire grounds will be easier to manage after the milder weather.
The Gospers Mountain fire north of Sydney could be contained by Friday.
"I think we have reached the peak," Mr Elliott concluded.
Long-term however the Bureau of Meteorology says neither wetter nor drier than average weather is expected before April, while dry conditions are likely to predominate throughout January.
The Rural Fire Service on Wednesday confirmed 1687 homes had been destroyed this season, with another 692 damaged.
More than 3300 outbuildings and 168 facilities have been razed.
On the south coast, boil water notices remain in many areas while people around Batemans Bay have been warned to stay out of polluted waterways.
The local council acknowledged rubbish was "piling up" across Eurobodalla Shire and urged visitors to stay away from the tourist hotspot until at least Saturday to safeguard resources for locals.
A free-to-use "fresh start trailer" with hot water showers, washing machines, dryers and a full kitchen has been opened in Shoalhaven.
But in Snowy Valley town of Tumbarumba, there is still no power or drinking water and only limited telecommunications and food.
The bushfire relief centre in Cobargo - a town decimated by fire on New Year's Eve - has called on volunteers to help sort clothing and bedding.
Federal government-funded disaster relief payments are still available.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said those watching Tuesday's funeral for NSW volunteer firefighter Andrew O'Dwyer would have experienced a "snapshot of the trauma that so many people are going through".
Mr O'Dwyer, 36, was killed in mid-December when his RFS truck rolled while battling the Green Wattle Creek blaze southwest of Sydney.
"It's OK to say to people, 'you've survived but your house is gone' but how do you deal with the fact that you've lost everything?" Ms Berejiklian told the Seven Network on Wednesday.
"Trauma is trauma, no matter in what form it comes."
Some 119 fires continue to burn across NSW, with up to 50 uncontained.
Two men, from Kiah and Lower Towamba, missing on the far south coast were located safe and well on Tuesday.
Twenty people, more than 6200 livestock and millions of wild animals have died since July.
Australian Associated Press
