Border firefighters deployed to NSW will face catastrophic fire danger on Tuesday, with all of the state under a total fire ban on Monday and Tuesday.
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Strike teams from the Rural Fire Service, Fire Rescue NSW and Country Fire Authority will travel to North Coast, where three people have died and 150 homes have been lost.
Seventeen CFA volunteers flew into Albury airport on Sunday evening, having spent four days on the front line.
Wodonga firefighter Alex Todd led the India Strike Team and said twice, they were pulled out of the fire amidst dangerous conditions and trees falling.
"[On Friday] we went back to Kempsey to be ready for fire attack ... we did asset protection there and that was when the fire came out of the bush," he said.
"There were a lot of houses lost, but every house these blokes went to, they saved.
"The locals up there are in shock ... hopefully we helped them.
"The whole North Coast is covered in smoke."
District 24 CFA operations manager Adrian Gutsche debriefed the strike team at Albury Airport and said an additional 33 personnel from the North East region were joining a statewide deployment on Monday.`
"The NSW RFS commissioner said at midday on Sunday he'd accepted the offer from Victoria," he said.
"They are forecasting catastrophic conditions for the Sydney basin area, and all the way through to the North Coast, on Tuesday and probably into Wednesday as well."
RFS Southern Border District Manager Superintendent Patrick Westwood said the fire activity in NSW was "unprecedented".
"We've got crews at Clarence Valley, led by our local deputy group captain Ian Avage," Mr Westwood said.
"Reports indicate they have been successful in saving property and protecting assets.
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"What we're seeing up North should act as a strong wake-up call for the community.
"There's a lot of preparation that can be done and the discussion needs to be had - there simply are never going to be enough fire trucks to have them at every house.
"Unfortunately, we are looking at seriously deteriorating weather on the North Coast, and with so many fires in the landscape, this will be a very difficult time for our firefighters and the community."
NSW Fire and Rescue Superintendent Stewart Alexander said the next deployment for his personnel would be Tuesday.
"We've been changing people over every seven days for the last five weeks," he said.
"The weather outlook is very poor in terms of firefighting all along the Eastern seaboard.
"We are not relaxing down here - certainly east of here is not looking very good, and we're ready to supply support and whatever else."
The NSW Rural Fire Service first issued the total fire ban for the state on Sunday, and then a warning for the highest level of bushfire danger for Greater Sydney and Greater Hunter.
This is the first time since new Fire Danger Ratings were introduced in 2009, that Catastrophic fire danger has been forecast for Sydney.
Visit www.myfireplan.com.au for advice on how to prepare for bushfires.