THERE'S no sign of relief as weather conditions worsen for firefighters battling the Bees Nest fire north of Ebor.
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NSW Rural Fire Service volunteers met with residents and Armidale Regional Council mayor Simon Murray on Sunday.
"I talked to some people on the western side of the gorge whose property was affected, they don't know how many cattle they have left," Cr Murray said.
"At the moment the focus is asset protection, there's very little chance of back-burning.
"There is a concern around Ebor itself that the wind could change and the fire could come back."
The out of control fire has been downgraded to Watch and Act status, but is expected to rage for weeks in tough to reach terrain.
An evacuation centre is open at Dorrigo Showground, calls for clothing, food and hygiene products were so well-answered that people were told to hold off bringing more on Sunday.
At least 25 evacuees took shelter at the centre at the weekend, many uncertain whether they would have homes to return to.
Winds of up to 80km per hour have pushed the fires forward at alarming speeds and efforts by firefighters have been largely reactionary, RFS superintendent Allyn Purkiss said.
"Certainly the Bees Nest fire is in country now that has no containment options for many kilometres," Mr Purkiss said.
"I would expect it to go on for a number of weeks."
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NSW RFS Building Impact Assessment teams are looking at impacted properties.
Support includes help for people who's homes or belongings have been damaged and money for local councils to help with clean up and reconstruction costs.
The fires are severe, Natural Disaster and Emergency Management Minister David Littleproud said.
"They've been fuelled by strong winds and have burnt through thousands of hectares of land, threatening life and communities," he said.
"The speed at which these fires moved shows the need for communities to stay vigilant and have a plan, especially as we try to bring them under control."
Concessional interest rate loans for small businesses, primary producers and non-profit organisations are available, as well as freight subsidies for primary producers and financial grants for non-profits.