Jervis Bay narrowly avoids fast-moving bushfire as conditions ease

A small beachside town on the NSW south coast has narrowly avoided a raging bushfire, as cooler conditions allowed firefighters to gain an upper hand over some blazes.

The fire, near Jervis Bay Village, was downgraded to a Watch and Act alert late today but not before a school and naval base were evacuated.

"It did come within about one kilometre of the village," NSW Rural Fire Service spokesman Ben Shepherd said, adding a late afternoon wind change was the saviour.

"Mother nature played it's part."

The fire, which began south of the Booderee National Park, forced the evacuation of camp sites and closed the main road into Jervis Bay Village.

Winds eased just after 4pm and it was downgraded shortly after.

Earlier, gusts between 20 and 40 km/h fanned the flames toward the town of about 200 people.

Residents were told to stay put as Jervis Bay School and a small nearby naval base were evacuated.

The fire remains listed as out-of-control but Mr Shepherd says conditions are easing.

Across the state today, more than 1000 fire crew and specialists battled bushfires.

Some 76 fires are still burning with about 26 out of control.

A blaze at Woodlands, near Bowral, is burning within containment lines with crews likely to undertake backburning overnight.

Isolated properties came under threat near Missabotti, on the state's mid north coast, but were saved.

Firefighters had directed their efforts to containing the fires, which took off during an unseasonably hot Wednesday and threatened homes in the Hunter region and mid-north coast.

Late on Thursday, a blaze was contained at Richmond Vale, near Cessnock, which had earlier ripped through a historic rail museum, causing $1 million damage.

The museum's secretary was inside as the fire raged but escaped unharmed.

Two kilometres of railway line were lost as well as a number of restored historical trains and a coal hopper from 1880.

"It's heartbreaking. You've got a program and you're working through it and you're achieving your goals, it's 38 years of work and we are slowly getting there and then you get this setback," museum chairman Peter Meddows told AAP.

"We are all pretty dejected but we're determined to keep going."

Bushfire danger ratings have further eased across the state but a stretch of coastline from Queensland to the Victoria border remains a high risk heading into tomorrow.

A lack of rain across the state was the main worrying factor for the upcoming bushfire season.

Residents are being urged to use this weekend to get their properties cleaned up and bushfire-ready.