Fire crews grieving the deaths of two volunteers have urged holidaymakers to delay travel plans amid catastrophic conditions across NSW on Saturday, warning it will be a miracle if no more homes are lost.
NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Gary Worboys said he understood people wanted to get to their holiday destinations but delaying travel by a day or two would still give them time to arrive by Christmas Day.Kate Geraghty
With a southerly buster and extremely hot conditions forecast for Saturday, Rural Fire Service Deputy Commissioner Rob Rogers said the current tally of more than 800 buildings destroyed by fire would almost certainly grow. All access between Sydney and western parts of NSW were cut off from 6pm on Friday as the Great Western Highway was closed to allow for backburning between Blackheath and Little Hartley. Bells Line of Road is already closed, so there was no alternative route available. The Princes Highway and Hume Highway would also be affected by closures on Saturday.Deputy Commissioner Rogers said if people had not taken the fire danger warnings seriously, now was the time to do it.
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