NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell has described the actions of two girls who allegedly lit a grass fire on a day of extreme bushfire risk as "sheer stupidity".
Police arrested and questioned the girls, aged 12 and 13, after members of the public reported them for allegedly trying to start a fire in a reserve in Sydney's west on Friday.
"It is absolutely disappointing that we have a report of two people allegedly seeking to light fires," Mr O'Farrell told reporters at Wyong Rural Fire Service (RFS) headquarters.
"But what's great about this incident is that the public has done exactly what the authorities want them to do, they've seen suspicious activity and rung police or RFS.
"It's just sheer stupidity, sheer recklessness, but out of it a great example of the community being alert."
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Mr O'Farrell is spending Saturday in Wyong near where firefighters are continuing to battle an out of control bushfire, which has so far destroyed four properties.
The fire has been downgraded from an emergency warning to a watch and act as temperatures in the region have cooled.
But the RFS warns it could flare up with hotter weather expected on Sunday and Monday.
Mr O'Farrell received a briefing at Wyong RFS headquarters from RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons and local firefighters on the fire situation in the area.
He also took time to thank a pair of South Australian firefighters at the local RFS headquarters for their work fighting the blaze.
The premier is due to fly over fire-affected country in the Port Stephens area shortly, before addressing media at noon.
He said firefighters had done an "extraordinary job" on the Central Coast.
"Whilst a lot of territory has been burnt only four properties so far are identified as lost, and in part that's due to some of the great hazard reduction work done by the RFS in this area in recent times," he said.
Mr Fitzsimmons said firefighters were back burning from Elizabeth Bay Drive to Catherine Hill Bay in an effort to contain the blaze.
He said more than 80 fires continued to burn across the state.
