Emergency warnings issued for fires burning out of control in the Hunter region of NSW and at Sutton, north-east of Canberra, have been downgraded as conditions begin to ease.
Residents north of Kurri Kurri earlier received emergency telephone messages about the fires, which have covered more than 600 hectares and are burning near Hart Rd, McLeod Rd and the Hunter Expressway towards Sawyers Gully.
The fires had previously been dealt with under two emergency incidents but are now being treated as Watch and Act.
"It's likely that those two fires will come together as they move in a northwesterly direction being driven by southeasterly winds," Paul Best from the NSW Rural Fire Service said.
Dozens of homes came under threat today, with stretched crews doing all they could to save properties.
There were reports of some properties falling victim to the flames, including a shed on Butler Road at Kurri Kurri.
The main focus for authorities, however, was on saving lives, with RFS volunteers protecting up to 60 people who had taken shelter at Kurri Kurri TAFE.
The Hunter Expressway remains closed between Branxton and Heddon Greta, with motorists urged to use the New England Highway instead.
Firefighters, including crews from Sydney and the Central Coast, are being assisted by waterbombing aircraft in the area, where southeasterly winds are expected to continue for the rest of the day.
Mr Best said better firefighting conditions are expected for Thursday.
"Much lower temperatures,higher humidity and calmer wind conditions." he said.
"Better conditons for firefighters to hopefully get on top of these fires."
At 6pm AEDT, 39 bush or grass fires were burning across the state, 26 of them were then uncontained.
Residents can find the latest fire advice on the RFS website.
Another emergency warning was issued earlier for an out-of-control fire in Sutton, in the Yass Valley near the ACT border.
The fire, which has burned across more than 400 hectares, has now been brought under control.
A 3300-hectare fire is also burning around Currandooley, 30km north-east of Sutton, but is being controlled after firefighters took advantage of favourable conditions overnight.
Farmers have frantically moved livestock and horses to safety at the rural properties under threat near Canberra.
One rural homestead has been lost so far in the Currandooley/Tarago grass and bush fire.
The blaze burnt through Kevin Williamson's 160ha farm near Mount Fairy.
"I wasn't there when it came through. It happened so quickly, I couldn't get to the sheep," he said.
He was forced to put down 20 of his lambs and is moving 60 others, which survived, to a paddock outside the danger zone.
Mr Williamson estimated his losses, including damaged fences, could total about $100,000, but he's hopeful of a quick recovery.
"If it rains it won't be a problem. If it doesn't, we'll have to buy in feed," he said.
It's the second fire Mr Williamson's faced in two weeks after another property of his near Boro was burnt out.
Meanwhile, Kelly Pulbrook and her family were busily moving their three horses out of harm's way.
"We have two more loads to do," she told AAP, as she drove off with a horse float on the back of her vehicle.
Earlier, the RFS warned of worsening conditions as crews battled blazes across the state.
With AAP.