Live: Emergency warning issued as NSW braces for worse conditions

Updated 26 minutes ago

A massive fire extending from Lithgow to west of Bilpin in the Blue Mountains is causing the most concern for firefighters in New South Wales this evening.

As crews continue to battle the State Mine blaze, Premier Barry O’Farrell has declared a state of emergency in NSW due to the bushfire crisis.

“We’re planning for the worst but hoping for the best,” Premier Barry O’Farrell said.

This afternoon an emergency warning remains in place for residents of Bell, a village along the Bells Line of Road, and the Rural Fire Service (RFS) is advising people to evacuate their homes.

Along that road, residents west of Bilpin are being advised to relocate. The RFS says if residents east of Bilpin are not prepared for the onset of fire, they should also leave.

Residents of Bilpin itself are being advised to stay put but are being told they may not be able to leave for the next few days, as the village is expected to become isolated.

People who live in Mount Wilson and Mount Irvine are advised to remain in place as fires are burning on roads in and out of the village, and the RFS says it is not safe to leave.

Follow our live coverage of the fires:

 

Topics: bushfire, fires, disasters-and-accidents, springwood-2777, nsw, australia, lithgow-2790, wyong-2259

First posted Sun 20 Oct 2013, 6:16am AEDT