NSW fire fighters face another tough day as weather warms It was meant to be day for fire-fighters to combat and contain the bushfires which have devastated New South Wales, but instead conditions have deteriorated MORE than 140 firefighters will continue back burning today to shore up containment lines in a bid to stop any more flare ups of the State Mine fire, west of Lithgow, that has claimed three homes and burnt 38,000ha. The fire has been downgraded to watch and act from an emergency warning yesterday after more than 100 homes in Bell, Dargan, Berambing and Bilpin came under threat along the Bells Line of Rd. The RFS said the massive fire ground was still uncontianed. Back burns and spot fires littered a 50km stretch of the road closed during the height of the emergency before 1pm. The road remains closed from Lithgow in sections. The fire is most active in the south east between Mt Irvine and Bilpin, and the south near Bell and Dargan. Active fire is also visible north of Lithgow and Marrangaroo. The fire continues to burn at the top of Scenic Hill," the RFS said. With temperatures tipped to be cooler than in the eastern Blue Mountains at 27 degrees and light north westerly winds an RFS spokesman said while conditions were more better than in the Springwood/ Winmalee area "no one was being complacent" about the State Mine fire. Firefighters battling some of the most destructive wildfires to ever strike Australia's most populous state were bracing Sunday for worsening conditions, with higher temperatures and winds expected to intensify the danger in the coming days. In the Blue Mountains, one of the worst-hit regions in fire-ravaged New South Wales state, 193 homes have been destroyed and another 109 damaged by the fire storm that peaked Thursday, the Rural Fire Service said. The fires had destroyed a total of 208 homes and damaged another 122, the service said as assessment teams continued to update the tally in their search for survivors and victims. A Blue Mountains hospital was evacuated on Saturday because of the wildfire threat. The 24 patients were transported to a Sydney hospital where they are expected to stay until Wednesday at least, Health Department official Clair Ramsden said. With 68 fires still burning - 22 of them out of control - and dangerous weather conditions forecast through Thursday, authorities were expecting the worst. "I'm increasingly concerned about the potential for significant fire runs and consequential damage if the weather conditions materialise like they're indicating they could over this week," Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons told Seven Network television on Sunday. A 63-year-old man died of a heart attack Thursday while protecting his home from fire at Lake Munmorah, north of Sydney, and at least five people - including three firefighters - have been treated in hospitals for burns and smoke inhalation, officials said. Police have charged two girls aged 12 and 13 with lighting a fire in a woodland on Sydney's western fringe on Friday. Firefighters were able to extinguish the small blaze without damage to property. All that's left of my mates Harley after the #SydneyFires swept through Winmalee, wrote Tony (@51thL0rd) on Twitter Source: Twitter The girls will appear in a juvenile court on Dec. 4, police said in a statement. It was not immediately clear what penalty they could face if convicted. Arson investigators are examining the origins of several of more than 100 fires that have threatened towns surrounding Sydney in recent days. The wildfires have been extraordinarily intense and extraordinarily early in an annual fire season that peaks during the southern hemisphere summer, which begins in December. Around 1,500 firefighters have been back burning to contain blazes since winds and temperatures became milder on Friday. Several roads in fire-affected areas north, west and south of Sydney have been closed. Wildfires are common in Australia, though they don't tend to pop up in large numbers until the summer. This year's unusually dry winter and hotter than average spring have led to perfect fire conditions. In February 2009, wildfires killed 173 people and destroyed more than 2,000 homes in Victoria state. Late on Saturday the Rural Fire Service had four watch and act alerts in place for fires at Springwood, Lithgow and Mt Victoria, as well as Balmoral in the Southern Highlands. Winds should blow in from the coast at about 35km/h from 11am (AEDT) on Sunday, but a warm, dry north-westerly is predicted to come through. "The good news is those northwesterlys are not expected to be strong," the BoM spokesman said. Meanwhile, the Queen has sent a message of sympathy to those affected by the raging bushfires in NSW. Fire crews have been battling large fires in the Blue Mountains since Thursday, trying to save homes in area where almost 200 properties have been destroyed and another 109 damaged. Homes have also been damaged in other area as 68 fires continue to burn, including 22 out of control. The Queen has sent a personal message to NSW Governor Marie Bashir, saying her thoughts are with those affected by the fires. "I would like to convey my heartfelt sympathies to all those who have been affected by the devastating bushfires across New South Wales," The Queen said. My thoughts are with the many people who have lost their homes or livelihoods in the fires and I have the greatest admiration for the firefighters, volunteers and emergency services officers who are working tirelessly to control the situation. A 63-year-old man died of a heart attack on Thursday while protecting his home from fire at Lake Munmorah, north of Sydney, and at least five people - including three firefighters - have been treated in hospitals for burns and smoke inhalation, officials say.