NSW: Total fire ban in Sydney and other major cities
15 Jan 2009 1:31 PM
SYDNEY, Jan 15 AAP - A total fire ban has been put in place across Sydney, Wollongong and Newcastle as temperatures soar throughout NSW.
The Rural Fire Service (RFS) had placed the ban on lighting fires in the open in the greater Sydney and Hunter regions, Illawarra/Shoalhaven and the southern ranges.
The bans were put in place at 12.30pm (AEDT) until midnight on Thursday.
Temperatures have already topped 40 degrees celsius in western Sydney, with coastal areas sweltering in the high 30s.
Much of NSW is now under total fire bans, with bans declared last night over large swathes of the state's west and south.
Firefighters are keeping a close watch on several fires across NSW, with a small grass fire breaking at Penrith in Sydney's west just after noon.
Smoke from the blaze is causing some concerns for motorists travelling along the Northern Road.
Crews remain vigilant at a fire that broke out on Tuesday in bushland in Garigal National Park, in Sydney's north.
No homes are under threat and the fire has been contained, but winds in the area are expected to pick up and temperatures are expected to soar to the early 40s later on Thursday, a RFS spokesman said.
A fire in the Morton National Park in the state's southern highlands, which has burnt out more than 1,100 hectares, was being controlled, the RFS said.
