THE Border was a meeting point for more fire crew reinforcements headed to the Sydney fires yesterday.
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A strike team from Melbourne metropolitan stations, made up of 45 firefighters, arrived at the Thurgoona BP service station about 1.30pm to re-fuel both bodies and fire tankers.
They will join crews from Albury North and Albury Civic fire stations who left for the NSW bushfire emergency on Monday.
A crew from the NSW Fire Brigade Corowa station also hit the road early yesterday morning.
There are fears temperatures will reach the mid to high 30s today, with predicted wind gusts of up to 100 kilometres.
Meanwhile, more than 80 firefighters and 17 fire engines from Fire and Rescue NSW stations across southern NSW yesterday took part in one of the largest mobilisations of resources in the history of the organisation.
Firefighters and fire trucks from Albury, Corowa, Deniliquin and Jerilderie were due to assemble at Castle Hill in Sydney late yesterday, ready to deploy to the Blue Mountains today.
Albury Central station officer Simon Huggett met the Melbourne crews yesterday before they headed off.
Mr Huggett said the situation was still serious with the uncontrolled fires and weather conditions expected to worsen today.
“The temperatures are expected to go up and the humidity is coming down,” he said.
“If we get into single figures with humidity, they will be in big trouble.”
Metropolitan Fire Brigade Melbourne assistant chief fire officer Darren Davies said firefighters were in good spirits yesterday as they arrived on the Border.
“We have 10 crews from all over Melbourne here,” he said.
“They are eager to get there and help, the community is suffering with the devastating fires going through.
“There’s been a lot of residences lost and the firefighters are really tired too.
“Our crews understand what they are going through and we will bring a bit of relief and lend the best hand we can.”