Conditions in NSW ease but warnings in place for more dangerous fire weather on the way - ABC Local

A burnt-out shell of a vehicle in a smoky setting.

Easing conditions have given the state's exhausted firefighters some respite overnight but emergency services are bracing themselves for more high-risk weather next week.

Key points:

The NSW Rural Fire Service said it would be using the cooler weather to prepare for worsening conditions on Tuesday
As of Saturday night, one fire remained at emergency level, with nearly 80 burning across the state
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said she had appointed a recovery co-ordinator to start work immediately

After devastating bushfires raged through New South Wales on Friday and Saturday, destroying more than 150 homes and killing three people, Tuesday's looming hot and windy conditions are a grave cause for concern.

NSW Rural Fire Service commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said firefighters were still dealing with "a very volatile, very dangerous and dynamic fireground", although Saturday's emergency-level fires had been downgraded from five to one by the late evening.

He said efforts would now be put towards containing fires ahead of worsening conditions on Tuesday, with temperatures set to hit the mid-30s.

"Our real focus is just dealing with these [existing] fires right now, taking advantage as much as we can over the coming days to try and consolidate these fires, because we have got a return to worsening conditions as we head into early next week and particularly Tuesday," he said.

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Commissioner Fitzsimmons said as of Saturday evening there were 79 fires burning across the state, 45 of which were not contained and 17 were at watch and act level.

The remaining fire at emergency level was the Hillville Road fire, south of Taree, following the peak of 17 blazes at emergency on Friday.

Authorities confirmed three people had been killed following the outbreak of numerous bushfires late in the week.

Vivian Chaplain, 69, died while protecting her home at Wytaliba, north-west of Coffs Harbour. A body was also found in a vehicle near Kangawalla, near of Glen Innes, and another in a burnt-out building at Johns River, north of Taree.

Five people remained unaccounted for as of Saturday night.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has extended her gratitude to all the emergency workers and NSW firefighters, and said warnings about the forecasted severity of this bushfire season had "unfortunately … come to fruition".

Ms Berejiklian also thanked the volunteer firefighters from South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania who were helping assisting RFS personnel across NSW.

She said "we are bracing ourselves for what might happen on Tuesday," and had appointed a recovery co-ordinator, Euan Ferguson, to oversee work across the state.

"I want to make sure the plans are in place to start the recovery effort as soon as possible," she said.

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