Rural Fire Services Commissioner Phil Koperberg warned that the fires ringing Sydney would stop “either when there’s nothing left to burn or it rains”. Weather forecasters do not expect rain in Sydney before Monday.

Last night, two fresh blazes in the Blue Mountains were licking at homes at Medlow Bath, Blackheath and Wentworth Falls, and had cut the Great Western Highway and the rail line to Sydney.

Sydney workers asked to leave work early as a blaze near Berowra, in Sydney’s far north, threatened to cut the F3 freeway and rail line linking the city with the Central Coast and Newcastle. The links were eventually closed at about 7pm.

FIREFIGHTERS were last night bracing for the arrival of a southwesterly gale they fear will produce the biggest bushfire emergency Sydney has faced in a quarter of a century.

Rural Fire Services Commissioner Phil Koperberg warned that the fires ringing Sydney would stop “either when there’s nothing left to burn or it rains”. Weather forecasters do not expect rain in Sydney before Monday.

“The immediate environs of Sydney have not faced a threat like this in 20 to 30 years,” Mr Koperberg said.

Thousands of firefighters yesterday battled two massive firestorms on the city’s northern and southern outskirts whipped up by squally, unpredictable winds and worsened by low humidity.

Last night, two fresh blazes in the Blue Mountains were licking at homes at Medlow Bath, Blackheath and Wentworth Falls, and had cut the Great Western Highway and the rail line to Sydney.

Mr Koperberg said it was a miracle only four homes — at Middle Dural and Glenorie in the city’s north, at Mangrove Mountain on the central coast and at Medlow Bath — were destroyed yesterday.

“We have lost a remarkably small amount of property — there are hundreds of homes that have seen fire up to their front or back door.”

He put that result down to the “tenacity and innovative firefighting” of his crews and “really clever firefighting”.

Sixteen homes were destroyed on Wednesday on the first day of the fires.

Police yesterday arrested an 18-year-old man who they alleged lit a fire near Wattle Grove, which was still burning out of control last night and threatening homes near Menai and Barden Ridge, in the city’s south.

NSW Premier Bob Carr yesterday said motorists who started fires by discarding lit cigarette butts would be charged with arson and could face up to 14 years’ jail.

“It is cruelty to fellow Australians to toss a cigarette from your car,” Mr Carr said.

There was relief in sight on the south coast last night as showers and thunderstorms were forecast around Nowra.

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Houses in the area had been under threat from a blaze that had already claimed three homes.

John Howard yesterday sent in Australian Defence Force crews to help, while 100 firefighters were heading to NSW from Victoria and South Australia to relieve exhausted crews.

“It has all the hallmarks of a challenge as great, if not greater, than the bushfires that affected many areas of NSW around Christmas last year,” the Prime Minister said.

Last night, more than 3000 firefighters across the state were working on 66 fires that had burned out more than 44,000 hectares.

Sydney workers asked to leave work early as a blaze near Berowra, in Sydney’s far north, threatened to cut the F3 freeway and rail line linking the city with the Central Coast and Newcastle. The links were eventually closed at about 7pm.

While the fires have not claimed any lives, a 72-year-old man died of a heart attack on Wednesday night as bushfires raged near his home in Sydney’s northwest.