The RFS Commissioner became emotional as he spoke of the firefighter pilot who was killed in NSW. Source: AAP
A FIREFIGHTING pilot has become the second fatality of the NSW bushfire crisis as the biggest blaze in the state edged closer to homes.
The 43-year-old pilot was killed when his fixed wing waterbomber crashed in rugged country on the south coast on Thursday morning as he fought a blaze near Ulladulla.
Fires prevented rescue crews retrieving his body from the difficult terrain.
A day after lauding the great work of firefighters who averted the greatest threat of the week-long crisis on Wednesday, Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons became emotional as he spoke of tragedy.
"We've suffered a huge tragedy on one of our firegrounds today," said Mr Fitzsimmons, who lost his own father fighting a fire 13 years ago.
"It's a tragedy for the fire fighting community but first and foremost it's a tragedy for this man's family.
"He's a husband with young children and we're all acutely aware that there's a family suffering today because their dad didn't come home."
Mr Fitzsimmons said the father of three, who was a contractor for the RFS, was doing extraordinary work and "making a real difference to his community."
"It's a sober reminder just how dangerous fire fighting can be."
Some 60 bushfires continued to burn across NSW and tiny bush communities on the fringes of the Blue Mountains spent much of the day on emergency notice as the massive State Mine Fire flared up.
The State Mine Fire has burned through nearly 50,000 hectares since it was sparked during an army explosives training operation near Lithgow last week.
Waterbombing operations in the area have helped crews gain the upper hand and the fire was downgraded back to watch and act early on Thursday evening.
Mr Fitzsimmons said the tiny communities of Mount Irvine and Mount Wilson had been forced to shelter in place because fire had blocked major access roads, while residents from Berambing and Mount Tomah were able to flee east towards Bilpin.
The Department of Defence apologised on Thursday for starting the State Mine Fire, which has already destroyed three homes.
Acting Chief of Defence, Air Marshall Mark Binskin, said a small fire that started during a routine training exercise at Marrangaroo on October 16 was responsible for the blaze.
"I do apologise, because it has been identified that this fire was the start of this mine fire," he told reporters at RFS headquarters in Sydney on Thursday.
Defence has launched its own investigation into the incident.
Defence personnel acted quickly after an explosion sparked a small blaze but were hampered by the live ordnance around them.
"This was not deliberately starting a fire, this was an accident as part of a training activity on a day there wasn't a fire ban," Air Marshall Binskin told reporters.
He said Defence was "not shying from our responsibilities" but stopped short of offering compensation to those affected by the bushfire.
An RFS spokesman has warned there will be little respite for communities who have been on edge for over a week and for the 1400 firefighters still on the job.
He told reporters late on Thursday that high fire danger weather was likely to linger for at least the next three or four days.
He conceded any residents who are asked to leave their homes yet again may become "frustrated" but he's urged people in bushfire areas to continue to heed official warnings, saying the danger remains real.
Governor General Quentin Bryce will tour bushfire hit parts of the mountains on Friday.
