( CNN ) -- Soaring temperatures and strong winds have combined to create a `` catastrophic '' fire threat across the southeast Australian state of New South Wales . Residents have been warned to remain vigilant as temperatures rise towards a predicted high of 43 degrees ( 109 degrees Fahrenheit ) in the state capital of Sydney . In some areas of the state , winds of more than 70 kilometers an hour ( 43 mph ) were threatening to fan the flames of fires already burning . However , a change in wind direction had caused temperatures in certain parts of the state to fall , offering some relief . A `` catastrophic '' fire risk has been declared in four areas of NSW , although the risk across 90 % of the state is `` severe '' or above . A `` catastrophic '' warning carries the risk of significant loss of life and the destruction of many homes , according to the NSW Rural Fire Service ( NSW RFS ) . `` I can not say it more plainly : the risk is real and potentially deadly . People need to act now , '' the service 's Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said . The `` catastrophic '' fire threat had led many to fear a repeat of `` Black Saturday '' in 2009 , when soaring temperatures and high winds fanned the flames of a series of bushfires across the state of Victoria , leaving 173 people dead and 500 injured , and destroying thousands of homes . On Tuesday afternoon , the Australian government announced that the state fire service would be granted access to Defence Force bases , fuel and personnel as part of the federal government disaster response plan . Earlier , Prime Minister Julia Gillard warned it was `` dangerous '' day and urged people to `` stay focused . '' `` The word catastrophic is being used for good reason , '' Gillard told CNN affiliate the Seven Network . `` It is very important that people keep themselves safe , that they listen to local authorities and local warnings . '' Total fire bans were place in the states of NSW , Victoria and across the whole of Tasmania , the southern island state ravaged by fire in recent days . On Tuesday afternoon , more than 130 fires were burning throughout NSW , with over 40 of those yet to be controlled , according to NSW RFS . There were no reports of any homes having being destroyed but authorities warned that the dry , hot conditions were expected to stretch into the night . `` It 's a long way ahead -- we 've got a lot of daylight left and a lot of nighttime left under these conditions , '' Fitzsimmons said . Thousands of firefighters were battling blazes on the ground , and more than 40 aircraft and 250 fire trucks had been deployed , a fire service spokeswoman said . Thousands more firefighters were on standby in high risk areas , including 21 `` strike teams , '' each consisting of five tankers to assist local brigades . The fire service said it was relying on people to report fires in their areas , but that surveillance flights were also monitoring the landscape for smoke and flames . Authorities said residents and tourists had responded well to early warnings to abandon properties under threat . `` If you are in a bushfire risk area -- if you are an at risk location , leaving early is the safest option , '' Fitzsimmons said . Record high temperatures and the delayed state of the Australian monsoon season have created a tinderbox out of large swathes of bush and scrub land across the state . The last four months of 2012 were `` abnormally hot '' across Australia , according to the Australian Bureau of Meterology . Average maximum temperatures were the highest since records began in 1910 . In the first days of the new year , extreme heat contributed to the spread of fires across Tasmania . Firefighters are still on alert , tackling a number of blazes , as residents who were in the path of the earlier fires returned to the charred rubble of their homes . More than 100 properties were destroyed or damaged , though authorities warn more may be at risk . Rescue workers are continuing to search for human remains as around 100 people have still not contacted friends or family , according to Tasmania police . `` It 's vitally important that all people who were in the area at the time , and are OK , self-register their details with the National Registration and Inquiry Service operated by the Red Cross , '' said Acting Deputy Commissioner Donna Adams . Meanwhile , police have charged a 31-year-old man for allegedly causing one of the worst of the fires by leaving a campfire unattended that was not completely extinguished .
NEW : Federal government steps in with fuel , personnel to help the National Registration and Inquiry Service fire effort . More than 130 fires are burning across NSW during More than 130 of 1910 on record . 90 % of the Australian state is under `` severe '' or higher fire warnings . High temperatures and dry conditions have combined to create `` dangerous day ''