A devastating weekend saw locals in a suburb north of Sydney lose everything as a fire swept through as temperatures nudged 40 degrees.
Authorities have warned that locals in NSW should brace for an "above average' bushfire season, with 20 homes already lost and one firefighter killed.
A devastating weekend saw locals in a suburb north of Sydney lose everything as a fire swept through the region with local ambient temperatures nudging 40 degrees.
The small suburb of Koolewong was devastated by the blaze.
READ MORE: Firefighter killed while fighting NSW bushfire
Further north, near Newcastle NSW, on Sunday night a 59-year-old firefighter died after being hit by a falling tree.
In NSW there are 53 fires burning and nine still to be contained, the RFS says.
There are 500 firefighters and 160 vehicles out tackling the blazes.
RFS Commissioner Trent Curtin said conditions had been "very, very challenging" in NSW.
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He confirmed 20 homes have been destroyed across the state. since last week.
The Bulahdelah fire which started last week and is where the firefighter was killed on the NSW Mid North Coast is now 3500 hectares big.
Currently there are 100 firefighters working there.
"Hundreds of firefighters have been working for days and through the nights to protect our communities in that area and to save lives," Curtin said.
He warned of an "above average" bushfire season, waning people should "prepare themselves for further losses."
More hot weather is expected on Tuesday, with temperatures over 30 degrees expected in Sydney.
Residents on the NSW Central Coast described how quickly fire took hold of their homes, leaving many with nothing.
Nick Gibbs and his family escaped, but it was a close call.
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He called it "the most surreal thing I've ever seen in my life", even burning his feet in his desperate escape.
"We just ran. We literally ran. I'm not even exaggerating," he said.
"There was fire, there was fire from both sides."
Some people also lost their pets in the fire.
Brooke Hayward said she "lost everything" but there was a small joy when she managed to track down her pet pig, Pumbaa.
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