The worst bushfires in New South Wales (NSW) for decades are continuing to threaten several communities in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, but no mass evacuations have been ordered yet according the Rural Fire Service (RFS) on Monday (October 21).

Some communities are being advised to leave their homes in small communities in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney, but RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said people are listening to the emergency service advice.

"There hasn't been forced evacuations. We are seeing and continuing to see a very responsive, a very measured, a very considered community that's heeding advice and making decisions and where appropriate choosing to relocate and follow that advice," Fitzsimmons said.

Fifty-eight fires are burning across the state on Monday with more than ten uncontained according to the RFS.

A state of emergency was declared in New South Wales on Sunday (October 20) giving the emergency services the power to order the public to leave their homes or demolish a building.

One man has died and hundreds of homes have been destroyed since the fires took hold last Thursday (October 17), according to the RFS.

Presented by Adam Justice