A grandfather killed in a northern NSW bushfire has been remembered as "the kindest man you could ever meet" as his grieving family continue working to help the firefighting effort.
Bob Lindsay, 77, and his wife Gwen Hyde, 68, were found dead in their destroyed Coongbar home on Thursday, two days after the Drake fire roared through the region.
Mr Lindsay's son and two of his grandchildren reportedly kept working in Casino to refuel waterbombing aircraft on Friday despite their personal loss.
"It's hard. That's our job. We keep the helicopters and the planes in the air. We're helping other people, other farms, that's a part of our life," daughter-in-law Julie Lindsay told Ten News.
She said 11 grandchildren "thought the world" of Robert who was "the kindest man you could ever meet". He had three children and also a couple of great-grandchildren.
The NSW Rural Fire Service on Friday confirmed at least 45 homes were lost in bushfires which swept across northern NSW.
Thirty-seven homes were destroyed in the Busbys Flat fire which ripped through Rappville and the surrounding area on Tuesday afternoon, while eight houses were razed in the Drake fire, which claimed Mr Lindsay and Ms Hyde.
The Drake fire was started a month ago by a lightning strike while authorities believe the Busbys Flat blaze was deliberately lit a week ago. The two fires joined together on Wednesday.
Bushfires in Busbys Flat. Source: AAP
Naomi Elwell's Rappville home was damaged and her mother's house nearby was destroyed.
"People are obviously devastated," the 34-year-old told AAP on Friday.
"But people are thankful they have their lives and they have their properties."
The mother-of-one is staying with friends while she awaits the all-clear to return to her smoke-damaged home.
Assessors will have to examine gas fittings, pipes, the roof and the water tank for damage or contamination.
Tensions are "fairly high" among residents of the close-knit town which has a population of just 169 people, Ms Elwell said.
"People are quite anxious - they just want to go back to their homes, they want normality."
Fire tears through a property at Grafton in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales. Source: Nine Network
RFS spokesman James Morris said they were working hard to make bushfire-affected areas safe.
"We don't have a timeline, we are working as hard as we can to get people back into those areas," he said.
Almost 300 Essential Energy customers remain without power in the Rappville area but supply should be restored on Friday night.
Across NSW, 89 homes have been destroyed this bushfire season, the RFS says.
Fire crews from South Australia and Victoria and personnel from the Northern Territory have been drafted in to help tackle the blazes.
Fire crews have worked around the clock to battle flames and thick smoke which have enveloped Rappville. Source: Facebook/Wayne Finch
The Drake fire is being controlled while the Busbys Flat blaze remains out of control.
Mr Lindsay and Ms Hyde, who were well-known in the small Coongbar community 40 kilometres southwest of Casino, reportedly met late in life and married three years ago.
NSW Police say the circumstances of their deaths will be "subject to an extensive investigation".
Some 87 outbuildings and five facilities including a community hall were destroyed this week, according to the most recent RFS count.
Thirty bush and grass fires are still burning across the state with nine uncontained.
The fire in Casino. Source: Facebook/Fire and Rescue NSW
Crews said they would take advantage of favourable weather on Friday with rain expected across the impacted areas over the next 24 hours.
Parts of northern NSW look likely to get some decent rainfall, the Bureau of Meteorology said.
"Much higher humidity levels, some light winds and the rainfall all combine to mean the fire danger in that area is very low at the moment," forecaster Gabrielle Woodhouse said.
