Firefighters are battling several big bushfires in New South Wales – one is threatening homes in the Southern Tablelands, and the other has forced the closure of the Royal national park in Sydney’s south.

An emergency warning has been issued for an out-of-control bushfire south of Bundeena in the park.

The park has been closed and people inside have been advised to leave if it is clear to so or if directed by emergency services.

Embers are believed to have caused a second fire nearby on Sir Bertram Stevens Drive at Flat Rock in the park.

The bushfire burning south of Sydney as seen from the Royal Randwick racecourse on Saturday. Photograph: Mark Evans/Getty Images

All roads into the Royal national park have been closed and motorists have been told to avoid the area.

Further south, near Bowral, rural properties in the area of Alders and Crees Road in Bannaby face the threat of a blaze burning through grass in the area, the NSW Rural Fire Service says.

The 90-hectare fire is at a watch act alert level, with firefighters and an aircraft on the scene to try to slow the spread of the blaze.

And east of Canberra, firefighters from the ACT have been sent into NSW to protect houses threatened by another bushfire in the Southern Tablelands.

Been watching the big bushfire develop in the Royal National Park, Sydney pic.twitter.com/VeBPmDViKW — Amanda (@Venixx) January 20, 2018

Three heavy tankers, backed up by smaller crews, were deployed to the 274 hectare Braidwood blaze on Saturday morning after it burned through the night.

“Their objectives are to protect properties, attack and contain the main fire and contain spot fires,” the ACT Emergency Services Agency said.

Firefighters are also battling a bushfire that has burnt about 20,000 hectares in the Pilliga Forest between Coonabarabran and Narrabri.

The fire is at an advice level and no homes are under threat, but residents are being urged to monitor conditions.

Firefighters are conducting backburning operations in the area and the Newell Highway has been shut between Narrabri and Coonabarabran and is likely to remain closed on Saturday.

@NSWRFS is this hazard reduction or a bushfire in the Royal National Park? pic.twitter.com/xsIJTPMo6V — Robert McKinlay (@mckinlayr) January 20, 2018

In Victoria, firefighters were focusing their efforts on two large bushfires triggered by lightning in the state’s rural northwest.

Crews were also keeping an eye on the weather, with the potential for thunderstorms and further lightning strikes on Saturday afternoon and overnight.

The blazes – measuring 141 hectares and 1271 hectares – were burning in the remote Big Desert area, near the South Australian border, and were not yet under control.

A further 15 fires were contained in other areas across the state.

“The response from the community has been really good,” a State Control Centre spokesman said. “Most of the fires have been small scale and we’ve been able to respond quickly.”

A total fire ban will remain in place for the Mallee district on Sunday, with temperatures in the area once again set to rise above 40 degrees.

