The very hot weekend offered plenty of challenges for the region’s fire-fighting crews. 

The Central West and Blue Mountains areas have been in a total fire ban over the weekend, as temperatures in Lithgow soared past 35 degrees. 

Three Rural Fire Service (RFS) units and a Fire and Rescue crew were called to a fire on Ridge Street, Portland, at 4pm on Sunday afternoon, January 21. 

The fire burned about two hectares and was contained within an hour and a half. 

Chifley-Lithgow RFS team operations officer Brett Taylor said the fire danger remained high as the heat combined with low humidity. 

“There has been very little rain and the fuel itself is very dry," he said. 

"We have been lucky that the wind has not been fierce, the way we see it on some hot, dry days.”

National Parks and Wildlife crews have been actively fighting the Wollemi National Park fire since it was reported on Friday. 

It was likely started by a lightning strike and is in a very inaccessible part of the park. 

Five helicopter crews were dropped into the area over the weekend, while water bombing was carried out from above. 

The fire has burned about 300 hectares of bushland. 

A NPWS spokesperson said the fire was bounded by the Colo River, the Wollangambe River and tributaries and Main Creek.

“Fire fighting operations are expected to continue for the next five to 10 days and smoke will be visible from the fire for this period,” the spokesperson said. 

Chifley-Lithgow fire crews were kept very busy over the weekend, with multiple fires in the region. As well as the Portland blaze there were two fires in Bathurst on Saturday.

One was sparked on the Mitchell Highway at Bathurst when the fuse dropped out of a solar panel. It burned three hectares.

At Black Springs in the Oberon council area, a bail of hay wrapped in plastic combusted, sparking a one hectare blaze. 

On Sunday, the crews were called to the airfield at Eglington, following the tragic death of a 75-year-old man in a glider crash, which sparked a grass fire. 

In the lead-up to the weekend, NSW RFS Region West manager Paul Smith said all districts and brigades had been contacted to ensure staff levels were high, and some members were rested during the week to ensure they were ready to go for the weekend.

The RFS has also been in touch with other agencies to ensure they are available for assistance and has moved to ensure heavy plant equipment is available if required.

Mr Smith said the fire conditions weren’t at their worst because of rain at the end of last year but the extreme heat made it dangerous.

“We aren’t taking any chances and have done a lot of preparation to ensure we have volunteers ready on the ground and the support is there if required,” Mr Smith said.

“We’ve contacted the districts and put them on standby and we stood down some of our staff during the week to have them prepared.

Mr Smith said vigilance from the public also played an important role in avoiding unnecessary fires and reporting any that broke out. 

“We would ask people to avoid any activities such as slashing, grinding or lighting any fires and also be alert, if you see a fire call triple-zero,” Mr Smith said.

Police have also advised people not to leave children, the elderly, the disabled or pets inside vehicles because of the risk of dehydration and even death.

They are also encouraging tourists, campers, and other holidaymakers who are in unfamiliar environments to take extra care, especially when swimming.