NSW Emergency Services Minister David Elliott has apparently reversed course and decided to return to Australia from a European holiday to help manage the response to the bushfires, less than an hour after The Sydney Morning Herald was told he would not cut his holiday short.

Mr Elliott left for holidays in London and France with his wife earlier this week, departing only a week after Prime Minister Scott Morrison was forced to apologise for holidaying in Hawaii as the fire crisis worsened.

"In light of the escalating damage toll to the South Coast and the tragic loss of a further two civilians and one RFS volunteer, I have decided to return to Australia to stand with our selfless volunteer firefighters and bushfire affected communities," a News Corp reporter said on the social media site Twitter on Tuesday night, attributing the words to Mr Elliott.

However, neither he nor his office would respond to repeated questions from the Herald, so the minister’s movements could not be confirmed.