NSW Blue Mountains bushfires to be linked to avoid 'mega-fire' The RFS says strong winds have hampered firefighters battling a massive fire burning in the Blue Mountains. A firefighter trys to put part of the back burning operation out in Dargan along the Bells Line of Road in the Blue Mountains with his foot. Rural Fire Service firefighters work along a dirt track in Winmalee. Picture: Coppel Alex Source: News Limited FIREFIGHTERS are working to link two out-of-control fires burning in the NSW Blue Mountains in an effort to starve them of fuel and prevent a "mega-fire" forming. Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons says firefighters are backburning at fire grounds at Lithgow and Mt Victoria to try to join the two fire fronts. He says the convergence is aimed at containing the two blazes and stopping them linking up with a third uncontained fire at Springwood. "There is work going on at the moment to try and tie in the eastern edge of those fires bringing them together," Mr Fitzsimmons told reporters at RFS headquarters on Tuesday. TRIGGER: Lack of political will THREAT: Mountains dodge mega-fire They will do it on their own but the containment strategies will seek to link those two fires together. There are 63 fires burning across the state, 13 of them uncontained. The huge State Mine fire at Lithgow is at "emergency" level while the fires at Springwood and Mt Victoria are at "watch and act." A fire at Balmoral in the Southern Highlands is also at "watch and act" level, the RFS advises. Mr Fitzsimmons said the backburning operation in the Blue Mountains would hopefully prevent all three fires merging into a "mega-fire." "The work ... by all these firefighters and these teams over recent days has given us the best prospects of avoiding that situation occurring," he said. Backburning was about 80 per cent "locked in" around the towns of Bilpin and Berambing in the Blue Mountains, Mr Fitzsimmons said. "They (firefighters) have had some extraordinary success ... but there's still a way to go," he said. He said firefighters were trying to surround the two fires at Lithgow and Mt Victoria ahead of higher temperatures and stronger winds forecast for Tuesday and into Wednesday. "We can expect to see those winds strengthen up to 60 to 90 km/h, which is what we're trying to prepare for and brace for," Mr Fitzsimmons said. In addition to the fires, there were "large tracts of the state" that remained at risk and under total fire bans. The RFS said around 1100 firefighters were battling blazes across NSW overnight. Fire and Rescue NSW has ordered one of the largest mobilisations of fire engines and officers in its history, sending up to 170 tankers and 800 officers to the Blue Mountains. The huge State Mine fire at Lithgow is currently at emergency level, while two other fires in the Blue Mountains, at Springwood and Mt Victoria, are at watch and act status. A fire at Balmoral, in the state's southern highlands, is also at watch and act, the RFS advises. The State Mine fire is threatening properties near the township of Bell, and continues to burn around the areas of Mt Irvine, McKellars Park, Bilpin, Hartley Vale, Dargan and Clarence. Embers being blown around by the wind are also causing spot fires. Bell residents are being advised to leave now if not prepared and travel west along the Bells Line of Road towards Lithgow. The Evacuation Centre at Lithgow Workers Club is open. An RFS spokeswoman says a pick up in winds on Monday night had stymied firefighters carrying out backburning in the Blue Mountains. "That did hamper some backburning efforts overnight," RFS the spokeswoman told reporters at RFS headquarters in Sydney. Obviously it's easier to backburn when it's still. She said the Lithgow fire was continuing to burn near a number of small towns in the region. "There's still danger to the residents in Bell, the fire is still around that area," the spokeswoman said. There was a watch and act put out for an area if Berambing, near the Mt Tomah area, they were getting embers. The fire was also burning near the town of Bilpin, which suffered ember attack on Monday, she said. She said firefighters were forecasting Tuesday temperatures over the firegrounds in the low- to mid-30s and westerly winds at about 25-30km/h. More than 1100 firefighters were out battling blazes overnight, with 84 aircraft deployed. More than 200 homes have been lost in the bushfires, with the insurance bill hitting $94 million with 855 claims. Meanwhile five children, including an 11-year-old boy, have been arrested accused of lighting the blazes that ripped through parts of NSW last week.