Residents and firefighters near the Green Wattle Creek blaze are preparing to face down the fire for another day amid warnings of deteriorating weather conditions.
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Buxton south local Jeff Van Der Korput spent his 34th birthday on Thursday defending properties in the suburb from the firestorm with a homemade water tanker.
Equipped with a 2000 litre petrol water pump he fought off a grass fire on his neighbour's property and saved a ringtail possum by putting it inside a hat.
"The (Rural Fire Service) was tied up and I built (the water pump) two years ago because I was getting worried about how dry it was and we've had to use it," Mr Van Der Korput told AAP on Friday.
With no power and very little water coming from the mains, Mr Van der Korput said he was feeling "very uneasy" about conditions on Saturday.
"It's hot, it's windy, these fires just here are starting out of nothing again from yesterday - all we can do is just sit here and be prepared...we don't have the ability to do much."
The RFS has warned the greater Sydney, Illawarra/Shoalhaven and the southern ranges will face catastrophic danger on Saturday with temperatures set to soar into the mid-40s and hot, gusty westerly winds forecast.
The Greater Hunter and central ranges will experience extreme fire danger.
"Weather conditions are expected to deteriorate tomorrow with very hot, dry and windy conditions forecast," the RFS posted about the Green Wattle Creek fire on Twitter on Friday.
"Do not put yourself in harm's way tomorrow," NSW Rural Fire Service deputy commissioner Rob Rogers said on Friday.
"Do not put yourself near an isolated bush area. If your home is directly on the bush and it's not got a huge break you should think about relocating."
Within walking distance from Mr Van Der Korput's property is the site where two RFS members died on Thursday night when a tree fell onto their tanker.
At the Buxton RFS station on Friday volunteer Peter Lockerbie - who's been with the Bundanoon RFS for 10 years - says the tragic event left local crews "gutted".
"Everyone's sort of feeling it," Mr Lockerbie told AAP on Friday.
"Today with the fire activity not being nearly as intense as yesterday, it's allowed us to have a chat with each other about it and share our thoughts.
"It gives us time to reflect on what happened ... because tomorrow when things start off again we need to be on our A-game."
Australian Associated Press
