Blaze burns near power plant as another fire destroys homes

A fire that has burnt almost 400,000 hectares in the Hawkesbury is burning in the vicinity of a power station responsible for 10 per cent of NSW's electricity.

An emergency warning was issued for the Gospers Mountain fire about 4pm on Monday as it headed towards Wallerawang, Lidsdale and Blackmans Flat, in the state's Central Tablelands.

This area, north-west of Lithgow, is home to the Mount Piper Power Station and the Springvale coal mine.

Mount Piper is the fourth-largest power station in the state and has large stockpiles of coal.

Just before 10pm the fire was downgraded to advice level. The RFS said the blaze continued to burn on multiple fronts, but was being controlled.

NSW RFS Inspector Ben Shepherd said crews were aware that the fire was burning just six kilometres east of the station, but believed there was "no current threat".

An EnergyAustralia spokesperson said: "Our priority is keeping our people safe and we are liaising with the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS)."

"We also continue to work closely with the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO), the body responsible for administrating and operating the national electricity market."

The Mount Piper Power Station on Monday afternoon.Credit: Peter Hannam

An AEMO spokesman said the organisation was working with generators, network service providers and the NSW government to "monitor and manage the power system during this period of bushfire activity."

"At this stage, there is adequate forecast electricity supply to meet anticipated demand in the region with no 'lack of reserve' conditions forecast."

Despite earlier concerns due to its proximity to fires, a Corrective Services NSW spokeswoman said there were "no plans" to evacuate Lithgow Correctional Centre.

"We are liaising with the NSW Rural Fire Service to closely monitor the Gospers Mountain fire," she said.

"There are a number of fire containment measures in place at the site, including fire breaks, and the site has significant fire-fighting capabilities."

As of 11.30pm on Monday, three fires were burning at watch-and-act level: at Bangala Creek near Tenterfield; the Kerry Ridge fire in Muswellbrook, Singleton and the Mid Western LGA; and Upper Turon Road at Palmers Oaky in the Lithgow LGA.

Bilpin fire sparked by backburn

A fire near Bilpin in the Blue Mountains on Sunday night was sparked by a "crucial" backburn that got away. At least five homes were destroyed but there are fears the number could run into the dozens.

Bilpin farmers and shop owners rely on the weekend summer rush to make money from people who want to pick their own fruit.

Bilpin Fruit Bowl owner and RFS volunteer Margaret Tadrosse, a resident of 35 years, said these were the worst fires she'd seen and the community was "screaming".

A fire that has burnt through 400,000 hectares is threatening a power station in the Hawkesbury.Credit: Nick Moir

"We wait for the weekend tourist trade, but that didn't happen this weekend [because of the fires]," she said. "It's so close to Christmas, we've gone through the quiet spell, everyone is screaming because they were hoping for a big weekend," she said.

The farm belonging to Sean's Panaroma chef Sean Moran and partner Michael "Manoo" Robertson was among the properties threatened. Mr Robertson said he had brought the farm animals as close as possible to the house and into paddocks with the shortest grass.

Apart from continuing to feed the animals and water the vegetables, he said they were "lying low" and trying to stay away from the smoke with towels tucked under their doors.

"It's like the end of the world. I don't have words to describe it," he said. "If you stop and think for too long you'll just burst into tears."

One resident whose home burned down said the incident was "inevitable".

Jon's property is on the side of Mt Tomah, looking west.Credit: Nick Moir

Jon, 73, said he and his wife had owned the property as a weekender for nearly 40 years. It was purchased after the 1979 bushfires when the previous owner’s house burned down, who then re-built and sold it on.

"It’s always been a risk, we somehow managed to avoid losing the house in 1994," Jon said. "I don’t know how they saved it, but they did."

The property is on the side of Mt Tomah, looking west. Jon said that once the fire shoots up the valley "it’s almost like a chimney."

He said requests to clear an additional 10 to 15 square metres of trees and bushland in front of the house was denied by the Blue Mountains Council.

"We got a bulldozer to create various levels on the hill, but we didn’t go far enough. We wanted to create another level and a bigger barrier - but they felt it wasn’t necessary," he said.

"This is the second time a property has burned down on that property in 40 years. So unless the local council is willing to let us clear more land, it will happen."

In a statement, Blue Mountain Council said it considered the clearing of bushland on private property on a "case-by-case basis".

"Local and state governments regularly review policy applying to vegetation clearing," it said in a statement. "There are no changes to local policy currently proposed."

Blue Mountains Mayor Mark Greenhill said after 200 homes were lost in 2013, he’d hoped he’d never get news like that again.

"I, like our community, felt a sense of dread overnight," he said. "Since then, there’s a been a great focus on people having bushfire survival plans and preparing their properties."

Mayor Greenhill said it was an "extremely experienced community" when it came to bushfires.

"Even though resources are stretched, I have huge admiration for people in the Blue Mountains who are running fire control."

"We have fire around us - Gospers Mountain to the north, Green Wattle Creek still sitting off to the south, the ruined castle fire in the western part of the Blue Mountains.

"Fire loves to run uphill. We are extremely exposed. We musn’t panic, but we must be focused."

He also said it was clear that weather conditions were unlike anything he’d seen before.

"What we’re experiencing is unprecedented, the state of our environment, climate and the drought. That cannot be forgotten."