Homes lost as bushfires erupt across NSW Authorities are warning of a serious threat to life as multiple bushfires burn across NSW. Heavy smoke from a bushfire rises above the airport at Newcastle in NSW. The bushfire at Lithgow. A NUMBER of homes have been destroyed by bushfires at Springwood and Winmalee in the NSW Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, the Rural Fire Service fears. NSW RFS spokesman Anthony Clark said the fires were burning very quickly and there was potential to lose more homes this afternoon. Six fires in NSW were at emergency level, the RFS said this afternoon. Earlier this afternoon, 595 firefighters were battling 78 bush and grass fires, 31 of them uncontained, as they braced for a southerly change. Rural Fire Service Deputy Commissioner Rob Rogers said the change could bring new drama. "It's going to continue like this for ... three or four hours," he said. Then we're looking at a southerly change which is going to bring gusty south-westerlies which will turn the side of the fire into the head of the fire and bring us a whole new lot of drama. The Springwood blaze is burning along Linksview Rd, with embers spotting along Hawkesbury Road. Fifty firefighters, four aircraft and 11 fire trucks were on the scene. A witness told ABC Radio he was standing across the road from a house in Springwood that was on fire. "The rear is well and truly alight," he said. The firefighters are doing all they can to save it. There are also unconfirmed reports of properties being lost at Lithgow, at Yanderra and Balmoral, in the Southern Highlands, and in Port Stephens, where a fire is burning near Newcastle Airport. The airport was closed after the fire burning near Heatherbrae north of Newcastle breached containment lines, fanned by gusty winds. The fire, burning parallel to the airport, was also threatening a service station on a main road. Richard Jones, manager of Muree Golf Club, which is just north of the blaze, said there was "miles of smoke." "It's just wild," he said. I don't think it's crossed the road yet but it's not endangering anyone on the course at the moment. Firefighters are going up and down the street to the north east of us telling people to evacuate. In the Southern Highlands, southwest of Sydney, a fire at the village of Balmoral, in Wingecarribee, was moving very quickly. The fire at Balmoral Village was approaching the township of Yanderra and residents were being urged to move towards Bargo. Rural Fire Service spokesman Joel Kursawe said there were reports one house is on fire. "They're saying that one house is already alight, that could be because the house was alight and it's spread, or not, we don't know," he told reporters. It's all happened very quickly. Hot conditions were compounded by strong winds, with wind gusts of up to 70km/h bringing down powerlines and cutting power to 8700 homes west, south west and north of Sydney. Endeavour Energy advised members of the public to stay well clear of fallen powerlines. It also advised residents in Lithgow, where a bushfire was burning, that it might need to isolate parts of its network as the fire passes through. In the Blue Mountains, power was cut to about 4500 homes and businesses in Katoomba, Winmalee and parts of Leura, Blackheath and Mt Victoria. In the Macarthur region, crews were working to restore power to about 1600 homes and businesses. In the Hawkesbury, strong winds interrupted electricity supplies to 1300 homes along the Hawkesbury River.