NSW: Arson suspected for bushfire on the move
07 Feb 2009 1:32 PM
Arson is suspected as the cause of three bushfires in New South Wales Hunter region .. that firefighters say are spreading at an alarming rate.
More than a thousand hectares of countryside have burned since last night .. with the fires joining and moving rapidly under hot and windy conditions.
The fire's burning out of control about 25 kilometres northwest of Putty and 44 kilometres south of Denman.
No property's come under threat .. but the fire's producing large amounts of smoke .. prompting the Rural Fire Service to warn nearby residents.
Temperatures will climb above 40 degrees across New South Wales and in Sydney's west today and tomorrow .. before a southerly change arrives late on Sunday evening to cool things down.
At least 35 bushfires across NSW are burning out of control or have been contained and are being monitored.
And there's a total fire ban in the Sydney area and most of New South Wales .. except for the northeast corner.
