* There are 50 bush and grass fires are burning up and down the coast between Newcastle and Byron Bay and inland to the west as far as Bourke.

* There are two major out of control fires due to continuing high winds.

* Some 21 blazes have not yet been contained.

WHERE THE MAJOR FIRES ARE ON TUESDAY

* Bees Nest, north of Ebor and to the northwest of Dorrigo, in the Armidale area, impacting almost 73,000 hectares.

* Long Gully Road, Drake, in the Tenterfield area, impacting almost 40,000 hectares and spreading towards Sandy Creek and Sandy Hill.

* Shark Creek and Yuraygir National Park, in the Clarence Valley area, where more than 9300 hectares have burned south of Yamba.

THE DAMAGE SO FAR

Destroyed:

* 9 homes (8 in Drake, 1 in Tenterfield)

* 34 outbuildings (16 in Drake, 15 in Tenterfield, 3 in Lidsdale)

* 3 facilities in Tenterfield (two car yards and a pistol club)

Damaged:

* 6 homes (1 in Drake, 4 in Tenterfield, 1 in Lidsdale)

* 23 outbuildings (13 in Drake, 10 in Tenterfield)

RESOURCES

* More than 630 firefighters were on the ground at 5pm on Tuesday.

FORECAST

* Strong southerly winds caused major issues at all three major fire sites on Tuesday but more favourable conditions are expected on Wednesday.

* But with no rain forecast, the largest blazes could burn for weeks.

Australian Associated Press