A cool change has helped firefighters bring under control a blaze that destroyed a home in the Blue Mountains in the first major scare of the NSW bushfire season.
About 1000 firefighters battled more than 70 fires across the state on Saturday but the focus was at Katoomba, where a fire broke containment lines in the afternoon, gutting one home and damaging several others.
One firefighter suffered smoke inhalation and was taken to hospital along with a resident with chest pains.
About 100 people sought shelter at the Katoomba RSL during the blaze, which the Rural Fire Service (RFS) suspects may have been deliberately lit.
All were allowed to return home on Saturday night.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
The six-hectare fire was still out of control on Sunday morning, but no properties were under threat and the warning level had been downgraded to "advice".
The fire had dropped down an escarpment and was burning in the valley floor below the road where the house was destroyed.
"That's where our concentration will be (on Sunday)," an RFS spokesman told AAP.
"We've still got some 80 firefighters on that fire ground."
The weather is forecast to be more favourable on Sunday but the RFS is worried strong southwesterly winds could push the fire back up the cliff.
"It will be quite cool and the humidity will be quite high," the RFS spokesman said.
"It's still problematic given that the winds are quite gusty and it is dry."
Another fire at Port Stephens has been contained.
Crews will remain at the scene and continue to backburn.
The RFS said 34 uncontained fires were burning across NSW on Sunday morning.
