A TOTAL fire ban has been declared in Newcastle and the Hunter for Tuesday with "extreme" conditions forecast.
Temperatures are predicted to reach 34 degrees in Newcastle and 35 degrees in Cessnock.
The NSW Rural Fire Service has also declared a total fire ban in the Sydney metropolitan area, the north-west, upper central west and far south coast.
Council areas included in the total fire ban include Cessnock, Dungog, Lake Macquarie, Maitland, Muswellbrook, Newcastle, Port Stephens, Singleton and Upper Hunter.
Temperatures are expected to drop on Wednesday to a top of 29 degrees in Newcastle, with relieving showers forecast.
Earlier on Monday there were out of control fires burning in Fern Bay and Martinsville.
The grass fire at Fern Bay was situated at the firing range near the Stockton Trails.
The bushfire near Martinsville burnt through six hectares in Watagans National Park and is under control.
There are also fires under control at Morisset Park, Kitchener, Lovedale, Glen Martin, Howes Valley, Stroud and Coolongolook.
More than 70 fires are burning across NSW with 13 yet to be controlled as crews face a scorching start to October.
RFS Commissioner Rob Rogers is worried this bushfire season will be the worst since 2019-20.
"We know there is community anxiety so we've got to balance between not not scaring people but making people take it seriously so they do some simple things to make sure they look after themselves and their family," he told 2GB.
"Clearly, fire season is here."
Mr Rogers expects an elevated fire risk until Wednesday but hopes rain forecast for later in the week will help ease conditions.
Temperatures across NSW soared into the 30s on Sunday - about 14 degrees above average in some areas - ahead of a cool change that arrived overnight on Monday.
