Firefighters given chance to battle blazes

SYDNEY - Firefighters have until Friday to contain 27 blazes around New South Wales before high temperatures are expected to return at the weekend.

NSW suffered through extreme conditions yesterday, with Sydney baking under the hottest New Year's Day ever recorded as bushfires fanned by hot winds destroyed at least three homes on the Central Coast and five houses at Junee, north of Wagga Wagga, in the state's south-west.

One St John Ambulance volunteer died while helping people who fled extreme bushfires on the Central Coast yesterday.

Mike Rozier, 64, suffered an apparent heart attack after going to Woy Woy Hospital to get supplies of Ventolin for people suffering breathing problems caused by the fires.

A 21-year-old volunteer firefighter remains in a serious condition in Sydney's Concord Hospital with third degree burns to 60 per cent of his body after being injured while fighting a blaze on his Junee property.

Hundreds of firefighters are today battling 27 blazes across the state, including about five uncontained fires.

Bushfires under close watch include three blazes on the Central Coast, one in the Hawkesbury area, as well as the Junee fire, which has so far burnt out more than 34,000 hectares.

NSW Rural Fire Commissioner Phil Koperberg said today cooler temperatures have provided some relief and the threat to lives and property had eased.

"It is basically no longer a threat to property in the short term," Mr Koperberg said.

"There are literally thousands of hectares of fire there and it's going to take us about four days to get round all these fires and mop them up.

"We don't, however, expect the return to bad fire weather until the weekend, so it gives the firefighters on the ground an opportunity to consolidate their position before that time.

"We expect that all the fires will be contained by Friday ... and we will be well equipped to deal with any new outbreaks as the weekend approaches."

Mr Koperberg said it was too early to speculate on the causes of the blazes, however fire investigators were assessing each one.

NSW Premier Morris Iemma praised firefighting efforts but said the state should not become complacent because the weather was cooler.

"Whilst the worst of the weather conditions have passed, it is a clear indication that we will be facing a very difficult bushfire season," he said.

- AAP