Around one thousand fire-fighters were continuing to fight as many as 100 bushfires in the Australian state of New South Wales on Sunday, local news agencies reported.
Many of the blazes were in remote, mountainous terrain and inaccessible bushland, but by Sunday afternoon emergency warnings had been issued for three fires that were threatening properties.
One of the warnings was for residents of Rylstone in central west New South Wales, where a blaze that has been burning since Saturday breached containment lines.
The fire has burnt through 1,260 hectares of bushland and was bearing down on rural properties on Sunday afternoon.
Aerial footage showed a haze of smoke over large rural areas around the town.
Small fires were also burning in Western Sydney, including one next to the major motorway which was causing reduced visibility and forcing drivers to slow down.
Elsewhere, firefighters managed to contain a blaze in Gunnedah in central New South Wales, which had been threatening properties earlier on Sunday.
Around 10,000 hectares of land were burning across the state, exacerbated by the hot, dry weather, strong winds, and low humidity.
The Bureau of Meteorology said that Sydney's temperature will reach 41 degrees Celsius ahead of a cool change later on Sunday.
Smoke was blanketing the greater Sydney area, mainly drifting in from fires burning northwest of the city.
Authorities urged people with breathing illnesses to take precautions such as staying indoors.
Total fire bans were in place for much of New South Wales on Sunday, and the fire danger was categorised as 'severe' and 'extreme' for about half of the state.
On Friday, firelighters struggled to put out fierce bushfires in the state of Tasmania.
APTN