At least 11 homes destroyed as crews continue to battle NSW fires

Homes have been destroyed across New South Wales as about 40 fires continue to burn across the state.

Volunteers for the NSWRFS.

Volunteers for the NSWRFS. Source: SBS News

At least 11 homes in northern NSW have been destroyed or damaged by a wild bushfire, with more than 40 blazes still burning across the state on Thursday evening.

Firefighters at Tingha will conduct a backburn overnight, according to authorities, with late conditions also bringing an increase in smoke and fire activity visible from Gilgai, Old Mill and Elsmore.

An alert level remains in place for the northern NSW fire, which continued to spread overnight in multiple directions due to changing winds.

It has burnt through more than 12,000 hectares and is pushing towards properties in Gilgai, Ponds Creek, Old Mill and Stannifer.

"We should hopefully see all these fires start to reduce in their alert levels over the coming hours," NSW Rural Fire Service Inspector Ben Shepherd said.

"We have got a very much more favourable day - no total fire bans in place for NSW, with low to moderate (fire danger) across most of the state."

Meanwhile, a woman is due to face court accused of lighting another bushfire near Tabulam, near Casino.

The 40-year-old woman was on Wednesday charged for allegedly setting alight rubbish in a steel drum in her backyard.




The fire was allegedly left unattended in the hot weather on Tuesday, amid a total fire ban, and quickly spread to bushland.

The woman was charged with intentionally causing fire and being reckless to its spread during a total fire ban, and ordered to appear in Casino Local Court on February 27.

About 40 fires continue to burn across NSW, 11 of which are uncontained.

The NSW RFS predicts it will take "days and days" for crews to contain all the fires, which they hope to do before more hot weather returns at the weekend.


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