The Beni fire is burning across 159 hectares on both sides of the Golden Highway, and is not yet under control, with nearby residents warned to seek shelter as it is too late to leave. That blaze dropped back to a watch and act alert level after 3.30pm.
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Another fire is burning at the watch and act level in Missions Gully in the Upper Hunter region, with firefighters working to control the fire across an area of more than 7000 hectares.
The fires come as a heatwave pushes temperatures well above average.
Sydneysiders descended on beaches and harbourside swim spots on Friday as the mercury peaked at 37.8 degrees in the city just before 1pm.
Bankstown and Sydney Olympic Park hit 39 degrees on Friday afternoon, while temperatures passed 40 degrees at Penrith shortly before 3pm.
In the Hunter region, Cessnock neared 40 degrees on Friday, Newcastle passed 36 degrees, and on the Central Coast, Gosford reached 38 degrees. In the Riverina most locations hovered between 38 and 40 degrees. Griffith peaked at 41 degrees.
People flocked to beaches to escape the heat.Credit: Sam Mooy
Penrith’s famous “Pondi” beach will reopen on Saturday, a day ahead of its original schedule, when the mercury is expected to reach 41 degrees out west and 37 degrees near the harbour.
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A total fire ban has been declared across much of the state on Saturday, including Sydney, the Hunter, Illawarra and Central West regions with extreme fire risk.
There is also a risk of damaging winds in the state’s south-east late on Saturday, bringing a cool change from the heatwave but threatening to stoke and spread bushfires.
The heat has already prompted races at Rosehill Gardens to be postponed until Sunday, while weekend cricket fixtures could begin earlier or later in the day to avoid the worst of the heat, depending on local conditions.
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