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Parched NSW braces for disaster

Holding the line: A firefighter at Bell in the Blue Mountains.Picture: AAP

As thick haze blanketed Australia's biggest city last night, NSW was bracing itself for catastrophe.

More than 60 fires burned across the tinder-dry State, 17 of them out of control.

The bushfire crisis - NSW's worst in half a century - has destroyed or damaged hundreds of properties but firefighters warned yesterday that worse was to come.

By tomorrow higher temperatures and winds up to 100km/h are expected to create a nightmare scenario for more than 2000 exhausted firefighters who have been battling blazes since late last week.

Their worst fear is that several fires will combine, creating a "mega-fire" stretching across hundreds of kilometres that would be impossible to control.

"We're not bulletproof. We're not miracle makers," NSW Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said yesterday. "But we'll do the very best we can to limit the death toll and limit the amount of damage and destruction throughout communities that come under threat from fire."

Hawkesbury residents - among those feared most at risk - were told yesterday to decide whether to stay and fight the flames or leave their homes.

Tomorrow, temperatures are expected to reach the mid-30s, with winds gusting to 100km/h feeding the flames.

"You've got to make the decision now," Rural Fire Service incident controller David King warned. "Please, please don't wait until Wednesday."

NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell said forced evacuations were a real possibility.

"If asked in those circumstances they must comply," Mr O'Farrell said.

"We know there is understandable heartache about leaving property perhaps vulnerable.

"But if it's a choice between property or lives we should always go for lives."

He urged residents living near fire hot spots not to be lured into a false sense of security.

"If people wake up tomorrow and it's cooler, they shouldn't think that the crisis is over," Mr O'Farrell said.

With the forecast gusts and winds tomorrow, it's every bit as bad as it was over the last couple of days."

NSW has been in an official state of emergency since Sunday, with scores of fires burning in the Lithgow and Blue Mountains regions.

Strong winds have also pushed thick smoke into Sydney, creating an eerie haze over the city and prompting the Health Department to issue a warning for young children and the elderly to stay indoors with windows and doors closed, preferably in air-conditioned areas.

Five people have been accused of starting fires since the crisis began, including two boys, aged 11 and 15, who were arrested yesterday.

Police allege they started a fire at Heatherbrae on October 13, which went on to threaten homes, burn more than 5000ha and force the closure of Newcastle airport.

"It's awful to think someone could do that, no matter the motivation," Mr Fitzsimmons said.

"Despite the enormity of exposure, despite the universal condemnation of the deliberate lighting of fires that we could have young people so reckless and so stupid participating in these types of activities.

"It saddens me that young people could not see the consequences of this reckless behaviour."

Police have also received reports that looters have been targeting abandoned homes.

Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione said there was no indication yet that looting was widespread but uniformed and plainclothes officers were patrolling fire-affected areas.

"It's probably the lowest act that you could be involved in (and) it's probably the worst thing you could do to a victim of a bushfire that's either lost their home or left their home to save their lives," he said.

The Insurance Council of Australia said the insurance bill from the NSW fires was so far estimated at $94 million.

More than 200 homes have been destroyed by fires west of Sydney over the past week and more than 100 badly damaged.

Many areas were yet to be inspected by assessors and the figure was expected to increase.

Premier Colin Barnett announced yesterday that the WA Government would donate $250,000 to help victims of the NSW fires and send firefighters if NSW asked for help.

"Many of us in WA know what it is like to have to battle bushfires and, unfortunately, many of us also know what it is like to lose property to fire," he said.

"This disaster will have a devastating impact on many communities and the State Government would like to do what it can to help them to rebuild.

"We Australians have a tremendous ability to come together in times of natural disaster and support each other in over- coming the challenges that lie ahead."