LIGHT rain has hindered rather than helped to contain a bushfire on NSW's south coast which has burnt out more than 600 hectares of rugged bushland, the Rural Fire Service says.
Crews on the ground are working to contain the fire using heavy machinery, while six aircraft are bombing the blaze from above.
Light rain which fell in the area on Thursday night has proved more of a hindrance than a help, an RFS spokesman said today.
"There has been some light rain on the fire, but less than 10mm, and that has affected the backburning that we were planning on doing last night," the spokesman said.
The RFS would be going ahead with backburning if the conditions were right on Friday, but with more high temperatures expected and hot dry winds blowing from the north, it may not be possible, he said.
There are still no threats to properties, but people setting off to the south coast for the long weekend were being warned to expect heavy smoke on the Kings Highway.
"We're just advising people in particular between Braidwood and Batemans Bay that the road is open but you can expect to see a lot of smoke, so slow down and drive to the conditions," he said.
A fire in the Morton National Park, about 25km from Nowra, was contained on Thursday, but crews are still on the ground watching for signs of reignition over the next few days.
"They'll remain there today just mopping up and going through the burnt area, rolling over the logs - just making sure that they are completely out," the RFS spokesman said.
"We are expecting a bit of hot weather of the next couple of days so we will keep an eye on it."
Eighteen smaller fires are still burning across NSW as heatwave conditions show no sign of abating, with temperatures across much of the state to remain in the high 30s throughout the weekend.
The Bureau of Meteorology said the temperature on the coast would stay in the mid 30s on Friday and Saturday with more moderate temperatures expected by the end of the weekend.
"Saturday is probably the higher risk day (on the south coast and near Sydney) with the fire danger easing off later into the weekend," meteorologist Deryn Griffiths said.
In Sydney the minimum temperature on Thursday night was a balmy 25 degrees, she said.
It is only the 13th time since records began 150 years ago that Sydney has sweltered through such night-time temperatures.
AAP
