Wild weather keeps NSW bushfire in check

Wild weather across NSW has not exacerbated a bushfire that has torched 1,200 hectares on the state's south coast and continues to burn out of control.

Hot north-westerly winds pushed temperatures on Saturday above 40 degrees in Sydney
and into the mid-to-high 30s around the state.
The fire has been burning in a remote area of the Budawang National Park, 30km from
Bateman's Bay, since a lightning storm on Tuesday.
More than 50 firefighters from the Rural Fire Service (RFS) are fighting the blaze,
one of 17 across NSW.
The other 16 fires are either contained or at a stage where crews are patrolling to
prevent flare-ups.
At least six water-bombing aircraft aiding in the Budawang bushfire were grounded
due to high winds, leaving the work to ground crews and their back-burning efforts.
By the afternoon, a southerly change brought windy and cooler conditions, which the
Rural Fire thought would push the fire north.
But the topography helped prevent flames racing in new directions.
"The winds have been quite strong up high but because of the nature of the terrain
there, with all the gullies, the winds have been fairly calm down there," an RFS
spokesman told AAP.
"We are still working to contain it with backburning."
No properties have come under threat.
The RFS on Saturday imposed a total fire ban across the greater Sydney, greater
Hunter, Illawarra and Shoalhaven regions along the coast and lower central west
plains.
As the cooler weather works its way north the RFS anticipates lifting all total fire
bans for Sunday.
But campers, hikers and people expecting to celebrate the long weekend with a
barbecue should take care.
"We're saying to people that they still need to take precautions, especially if they
are out and about for the Australia Day long weekend," the spokesman said.