Three bushfires burning in southern NSW have merged to create a massive blaze in the Snowy Mountains area as a strong wind change brought 90km/h gusts to dozens of dangerous fire grounds.
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The 233,000-hectare Green Valley fire on Friday evening merged with the nearby East Ournie Creek blaze and the huge 312,000 hectare-Dunns Road fire which were already at emergency level.
The Green Valley blaze jumped Jingellic Road at Lankeys Creek as it moved toward the Alpine communities of Mundaroo, Tumbarumba and Mannus.
NSW Rural Fire Service spokesman Anthony Bradstreet said the fires were burning very quickly and could impact rural properties in the area as winds reach 90km/h.
"We are seeing embers burning ahead of the fire front and we could see properties threatened before that main fire front arrives," he told AAP on Friday.
Another six blazes - including the massive Border fire - were at watch-and-act level on Friday evening, with most in the state's scorched southeast.
The RFS said the Erskine Creek blaze which is an extension of the Green Wattle Creek fire near the Blue Mountains was put at watch-and-act level because of fears strong winds could move it towards Leura and Wentworth falls.
The southwesterly wind change brought gusts of up to 90km/h across the Riverina, with the Bureau of Meteorology warning the change will be "particularly gusty" and "very significant" across the state.
It will blow up the coast throughout the evening and was expected to reach Morouya about 11pm and Sydney by 2am on Saturday.
A firefighter in his 20s has been hospitalised and is in a stable condition after he suffered burns to his face in the Snowy Valley region when fierce winds pushed the fires in different directions.
At Thredbo, snowmaking machines have been running non-stop for days to wet village grounds to combat any potential spot fires from the Pilot Lookout fire south of the ski resort.
Meanwhile, NSW RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said two new blazes - the Yearinan Station Rd fire near Coonabarabran in the state's north and another in a remote region of the Blue Mountains appeared to have begun due to lightning strikes.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian earlier urged communities to remain vigilant amid warm and windy conditions.
"In essence, we know it's going to be a long and difficult night," Ms Berejiklian said.
About 65 of the 137 bushfires burning around NSW are uncontained.
The fires have closed several roads across the state including the Snowy Mountains Highway between the Hume Highway at Mount Adrah and Adelong and between Talbingo and Kosciuszko Road.
The Princes Highway remains closed between Wonboyn Road at Narrabarba and the Victorian border, along with other roads across the NSW-Victorian border.
Communities on the Victoria-NSW border were also warned they may be unable to contact triple zero due to telecoms outages.
Conditions are due to ease later on Saturday with showers and isolated thunderstorms in coastal parts and adjacent ranges expected, Bureau of Meteorology spokesman Grahame Reader said.
Australian Defence Force national coordinator Major General Jake Ellwood on Friday said just under 2000 reservists are on duty to provide support during the bushfires.
The number of homes confirmed destroyed since January 1 has increased to 1079, the RFS said on Friday.
At least 1995 homes have been lost since the start of the fire season. Another 816 have been damaged.
Since July, 20 people including three firefighters, 6200 livestock and millions of wild animals have died in the NSW bushfires.
Australian Associated Press
