Fire destroys 193 Blue Mountains homes

The NSW Rural Fire Service says 300 homes in Springwood and Winmalee have been damaged or destroyed by fire.

The Rural Fire Service says fires have damaged or destroyed 300 homes in the lower Blue Mountains. (AAP)

More than 300 properties in the NSW lower Blue Mountains have been damaged or destroyed by bushfires, the NSW Rural Fire Service says.

After assessing 95 per cent of the fireground in Springwood and Winmalee the RFS has been able to establish that 193 properties have been destroyed and 109 have been damaged.

That number could change following more investigations involving other fire-hit areas.

On Friday the Insurance Council of Australia said there had already been 550 claims totalling $30 million, with the number expected to rise sharply.