An out-of-control grass fire in Western Sydney has been downgraded to Watch and Act level after a horror day of bushfires across NSW and Victoria.
The fire was burning on Hyland Road, east of Prospect Reservoir, south of the M4 and north of the train line in Pemulwuy, with an emergency warning issued at 7pm and people in the area warned that it was "too late to leave".
The NSW Rural Fire Service said the fire was spreading quickly in a northerly direction due to a southerly wind change that hit Sydney earlier this evening.
Greystanes is just over 30 kilometres from Sydney Harbour, where up to a million people are expected to gather on Tuesday night to watch the New Year's Eve fireworks display.
Earlier on Tuesday, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian defended her decision not to cancel the iconic event in the face of widespread criticism but admitted to having "mixed feelings" about the display after a third NSW volunteer firefighter was killed while on duty on Monday.
As of 8pm, five emergency warnings have been issued across NSW as 120 fires continue to burn across the state.
