Emergency services have made the most of favourable conditions to fight three fires burning near the NSW border with the ACT, with water-bombing and containment lines being built to stop their spread.
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No fires were burning in the ACT on Monday evening, and there was no immediate threat to homes in the territory.
Emergency Services Commissioner Georgeina Whelan said additional ACT resources had been sent to the Mary's Hill fire, burning seven kilometres west of the ACT border, with containment efforts focusing on the eastern edge of the fire.
Conditions have cleared allowing water-bombing to take place, as well as for remote are fire-fighting teams to be moved to the area.
More fire fighters and heavy tankers will be sent to the Mary's Hill fire on Tuesday.
On Monday the Dunns Road fire was burning 18 kilometres west of the ACT border, and hadn't breached containment lines closest to the territory border, Commissioner Whelan said.
"We continue to monitor the activity of the Dunn's Road fire," Commissioner Whelan said.
"Aerial surveillance has identified an increase in fire activity on that fire so we will not become complacent because we have some rain that will fall in the next couple of days."
ACT crews are also working with their NSW counterparts to build containment lines around the Adaminaby complex fire, which is burning three kilometres south-west of the ACT border.
Commissioner Whelan said that while fire fighters had been taking advantage of favourable conditions and the forecast rain could slow fires, ACT emergency services wouldn't be complacent as it monitored the blazes.
"We remain on high alert and will continue to actively monitor conditions and fire activity in and around the ACT," Commissioner Whelan said.
She called on Canberra's residents to re-visit their fire plans, especially as many people returned to work this week.
The Emergency Services Agency held two town hall meetings on the weekend, as well as 'pop-up' community information stands at shopping centres.
Chief Minister Andrew Barr said emergency services personnel were following up on specific issues that were brought up at those meetings, and Commissioner Whelan said they were an "invaluable two-way conversation" with residents.
The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast rain and slightly cooler temperatures from Thursday onwards, which Mr Barr said had "quite encouraging prospects".
"That rain, if and when it comes, will be welcome but the very clear message is it wont out out the fires," Mr Barr said
"It will certainly slow the progress, but it will not put the fires out. We would need a lot more rain than is currently forecast."
Sally Whyte
I report on a range of issues in federal politics and the public service, with a real passion for how decisions made in Canberra affect the lives of Australians.
I report on a range of issues in federal politics and the public service, with a real passion for how decisions made in Canberra affect the lives of Australians.
