A large scrub fire has passed by a town that had been under threat in southwestern NSW.
The Rural Fire Service (RFS) says the fire in the Smiths Lane and Springdale area, near Cootamundra, is being brought under control.
Just before 9pm (AEDT) on Wednesday, an emergency warning for the blaze was downgraded to watch and act level after it moved past Stockinbingal.
RFS spokesman Ben Shepherd said the blaze could be downgraded further to advice level later on Wednesday night.
"By and large, the fire that was moving towards Stockinbingal has basically gone around the town," Mr Shepherd told ABC radio.
"It's very much more favourable conditions."
There have been no reports of properties lost.
Almost 200 firefighters are still working to control the fire and the Burley Griffin Way to the west of Stockinbingal remains closed to all traffic.
Earlier, Mr Shepherd said crews fighting the fire had done some "great saves" of rural properties in the area on Wednesday afternoon.
"It's been very hard out there today. We saw very high, and just tipping into severe, fire danger in a number of areas," he told ABC radio.
The fire has burnt through 3600 hectares of scrub.
