A mayor on New South Wales' mid-north coast says the bushfires ripping through the region are "horrifying and horrendous beasts" as authorities reveal a number of homes may have been lost.
MidCoast Council mayor David West says a fire near Forster threatened a council building on Thursday night.
"It was literally a wall of yellow, horrible, beastly, tormenting flames," the mayor said.
The mayor is particularly concerned about an out-of-control fire burning near Hillville south of Taree.
The NSW Rural Fire Service says the fires have crossed the Pacific Highway and are spreading quickly.
The highway is closed in both directions between Taree and Bulahdelah. The Pacific Highway is also closed at Port Macquarie between the Oxley Highway and Hastings River Drive.
"It (the Hillville fire) moving toward the coast at a fairly rapid rate," Mr West said.
"The area that I live in hasn't been burned in about 30 years. There's a huge amount of fuel load."
A number of schools have been closed in the area due to the bushfires.
MidCoast Council deputy mayor Claire Pontin - who lives in nearby Hallidays Point - says the area is "tinder dry".
"It's just crispy. In places, you can hear the leaves crunching under your feet."
There are over a dozen emergency warnings in NSW for fires stretching from just north of Forster to west of Tenterfield near the Queensland border.
The worst fires are at: Hillville, Crowdy Bay National Park, Tapin Tops National Park, Port Macquarie, Willi Willi, the Mistake State Forest in Nambucca and surrounds, Tyringham, Wandsworth and Torrington.
In total there are 89 bushfires burning across the state. There are also several "watch and act" alerts in place.
Queensland also under threat
In Queensland, there are two emergency fire warnings, with more than forty fires burning across the state.
Residents are being told to flee from a fire burning north of Noosa, as crews battle dozens more.
AAP
A watch and act alert is currently in place for Cooroibah, near Noosa, where people are being told to leave now.
Residents in Buccan, south of Brisbane, as well as Thorton, Clumber and Lower Beechmont are being told to prepare to leave as separate fires burn.
A leave now warning has also been issued for Cooroibah, near the sunshine coast.
SOURCE AFP - SBS
