Successful backburning operations have reduced the chance of a mega fire in the Blue Mountains with the Springwood blaze now less likely to link up with the Mount Victoria and State Mine fires.
Although fire flared again in Springwood which was upgraded back to emergency level late on Monday afternoon, the Rural Fire Service is hoping its backburning has done its job.
"Earlier projections were that it had every potential of all three fires joining together," RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said.
"We can't rule it out but hopefully at this stage, with everything that's been going on in the last 24 hours or so, we've lessened the likelihood of that occurring.
But Mr Fitzsimmons still warned there were fears "many dozens of homes" could be destroyed around Faulconbridge in the Springwood blaze.
More than 200 homes have already been lost in the area.
Fire activity flared up between Chapman Road and Grose Road on Monday afternoon after a relatively calm day.
Springwood resident Kate Trinh left her home and went to the Springwood evacuation centre about 4pm on Monday after receiving a text alert from the RFS.
She said there was thick ash and smoke in her home.
"We thought we'd take the two kids and come here rather than wait and see what happens," she told AAP.
The family home is surrounded by bush, but Ms Trinh said she didn't want to take the risk of staying to fight.
"It's just one of those situations where if it happens it happens," she said.
"You're living in the bush so you've got to expect it."
Ms Trihn, husband Thy, Oliver and his 13-month-old brother Jaiden will stay at the evacuation centre until they receive the all clear from authorities.
'UNPRECEDENTED' BUSHFIRE EMERGENCY
Amid the worst fire disaster in the state for nearly 50 years, New South Wales Sunday declared a state of emergency which gives firefighters the power to forcibly evacuate people, with penalties for refusing.
State Emergency Services Minister Mike Gallacher said every possible resource was being used, including firefighters drafted in from other states, with the option that the military could be deployed.
With hundreds of people evacuated due to the encroaching flames, police revealed they were dealing with reports of looting from victims, although the number of incidents was small.
State Premier Barry O'Farrell called looters "scumbags" and vowed to track them down.
Meanwhile, an 11-year-old boy was Monday charged with deliberately lighting two fires on the New South Wales Central Coast last week, one of which forced hundreds of people to flee their homes and saw the closure of Newcastle airport.
Another boy, aged 15, was arrested over one of those blazes while a 14-year-old was charged with starting a separate fire Sunday near Rutherford, a suburb north of Sydney, which was quickly extinguished.
Share
