Silence didn't mean the fires have stopped - There are currently 62 fires burning across New South Wales, with 14 uncontained. There are four Watch and Act alerts (2nd alert) in place, including the large State Mine fire in the Lithgow area, which was this morning downgraded from an Emergency alert (highest alert). The Fire Commissioner warns against complacency - tomorrow's weather will cause problems.

Joining these fires means less danger to communities lower down the Mountains - Rural Fire Service links up major NSW bushfires as winds drop The NSW Rural Fire Service has deliberately linked the State Mine and Mount Victoria bushfires to help crews manage the situation.

Strong winds picked up this morning, hampering back-burning efforts, but firefighters are now taking advantage of a lull.

Firefighters have linked the two fires along the Darling Causeway in a controlled way through back-burning efforts.

"That is principally focused on trying to stop those two fires coming together and joining with the fire down at Springwood and Winmalee," RFS commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said at a briefing.

An emergency warning for the State Mine fire has been downgraded, while three other watch-and-act alerts are still in place at Mount Victoria, Springwood and in the Southern Highlands.

A state of emergency also remains in effect across the state as hundreds of reinforcements arrive from interstate to bolster firefighters on the ground.

Interactive bushfire map

'Terrifying' summer in prospect A leading fire scientist warns the NSW bushfires are a preview of what Australia faces in the coming months. (video)

in pictures - NSW bushfires

Photo of exhausted firefighters goes viral

They worked through the night in horrific and dangerous conditions so Catherine Hill Bay would survive - though these firefighters don't consider themselves heroes.

However, that is what people across the world are calling them after an image captured by Newcastle Herald photographer Phil Hearne went viral over the weekend. The photo, which shows exhausted firefighters sleeping by the road as flames lap close by, has been seen by 3.7 million people on Facebook. By last night it had received around 4300 messages of thanks.