Three firefighters have been injured and a home destroyed as crews continue to battle a bushfire that has spread in the New South Wales Central West.
Water-bombing aircraft and on-ground crews have been working to contain a 349-hectare blaze that ignited Thursday afternoon, 20 kilometres north-west of Cowra.
The Canobolas Rural Fire Service (RFS) has built fire breaks to prepare for several days of hot and windy weather conditions that are set to worsen through the weekend.
The fire has been burning in the vicinity of 20 properties within 5km of the fire ground around Conimbla Road and Theole Road, near the Lachlan Valley Way.
House destroyed by 'whirlwind'
Canobolas RFS operations officer Nils Waite reported that a "fire whirlwind" on Thursday produced wind gusts of up to 200km/h that ripped off the roof of a house, damaged vehicles and tore trees out of the ground.
"It was an unusual event — a phenomenon — that occurred yesterday afternoon," he said.
RFS spokesman Ben Shepherd said no-one was in the house at the time.
"We had firefighters there and it gave them a shock how quickly the wind came up," he said.
Two firefighters were injured by flying debris that was strewn several hundred metres and another was treated for dehydration.
Containment is key
The blaze is believed to have started when a local beekeeper was tending hives and a bee smoker set grass alight.
A backburn was successfully conducted on Thursday night to help contain the fire and crews have been working with landowners to strengthen fire breaks around their homes.
Mr Shepherd said the fire was continuing to burn uncontained towards bushland.
"We have deteriorating conditions due on Saturday with hot conditions so firefighters will continue into the night to try to contain it."
NSW Minister for Emergency Services Steph Cooke in a Facebook post thanked the firefighters.
"The focus for RFSNSW volunteers and personnel today will be to build containment on the western edge with ground crews again supported by aircraft and heavy plant," Ms Cooke said.
"Containing this and other fires remains the top priority for emergency services."
She said homes were not currently under threat.
Heatwave conditions are forecast to move across the state from Friday to Sunday, with temperatures expected to reach 40C and 30km/h winds for the Central West slopes and plains.
Meantime, south-west of Cowra a 364-hectare fire at Bigga near the Wyangala Dam has been contained.
It has been burning for several days and crews are regularly attending the area, particularly with heatwave conditions setting in.
Total fire bans have been issued for Saturday in the Southern Ranges, Southern Slopes and Eastern Riverina.
