Tourists are being told to stay away from the fire-ravaged Snowy Mountains region, as fire crews brace for worsening conditions on Friday.
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It comes as communities continue to count the cost of the devastating Dunns Road bushfire, which ripped through Batlow and into Kosciuszko National Park on Saturday.
The fire destroyed homes, buildings and a school in Cabramurra, which houses staff at Snowy Hydro, and caused damage to equipment at Lobs Hole, which is being used as the construction base for Snowy 2.0.
NSW Rural Fire Service on Tuesday morning advised visitors to steer clear of a large swathe of the high country for the remainder of the week.
The designated "tourist leave zone" extends to near Tumut in the north, Berridale in the east, near Tumburumba in the west and to the town of Delegate, in southern NSW.
Temperatures in the early 30s and northwesterly winds are predicted to increase bushfire activity in the region on Friday.
Cooler conditions at the start of this week have brought some reprieve to firefighters battling to contain large fires in and around the Kosciuszko National Park.
Andrew Dillion, a NSW Rural Fire Service public liaison officer based at the Cooma control centre, said the fires continued to burn out of control and remained a risk to public safety.
Mr Dillion said conditions forecast for Friday weren't expected to be as extreme as those which passed through the region on Saturday.
"However, there is still the risk of fires continuing to spread and impacting communities," Mr Dillion said.
"It is important for people to not be in the area if they don't have to be, because there is still dangerous conditions associated with fires. The fire is not contained and until conditions do improve, and until it is contained, we cannot guarantee [visitors' safety]."
Mr Dillion said favorable conditions on Monday and Tuesday have allowed fire crews to use bulldozers to create new containment lines, in particular on grasslands near forested areas.
The Dunns Road bushfire, which spans more than 313,100 hectares, was burning at advice level on Tuesday afternoon.
Authorities remains concerned the blaze could merge with the Green Valley, Talmalmo and East Ournie fires, which are burning southwest of Dunns Road.
The Dunns Road blaze has left behind a trail of destruction in parts of Kosciuszko National Park, with the fire all but destroying Selwyn Snow Resort. Historic buildings in the Kiandra precint - including the heritage-listed courthouse - are also feared lost.
Dan Jervis-Bardy
Dan covers federal politics from Parliament House, with a special focus on climate policy and the NDIS. He has previously reported on ACT politics and urban affairs since joining the Canberra Times in 2018.
Dan covers federal politics from Parliament House, with a special focus on climate policy and the NDIS. He has previously reported on ACT politics and urban affairs since joining the Canberra Times in 2018.
