At the NSW Riverina town of Tumut it took three days to move about 60 residents from a nursing home as it looked like nearby blazes might encroach.

"These are people from a high-care facility which also has a specialist dementia ward," Valmar Support Services chief Hugh Packard told AAP.

Although Tumut has not been subject to an evacuation order, Mr Packard said it was a risk-averse approach by operators, knowing how long the process could take.

While the displaced people remain in temporary accommodation in Canberra, others remain on stand by at Tumut.

Residents of Valmar's four high-support group houses for adults with disabilities have already spent one day at the Gundagai evacuation centre.

"It's actually very hard work keeping a reasonable-size group of these people adequately supported outside of their usual surrounds," Mr Packard said.

"Any disruption to their routine, it tends to trigger behaviours ... people can become less settled than normal."

With numerous staff diverted to firefighting duties, or protecting their own homes, or cut off by closed roads, Mr Packard said the ongoing care of people in community and group homes remained a challenge.

"I expect it will take about two weeks to return to full tilt as clients and staff both slowly return to the district and start to pull their lives back to something approaching normal."

Australian Associated Press