NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian lends an ear to fire victims during visit to state's north

Ms Berejiklian listened sympathetically to first-hand fire stories from a number of Tenterfield locals, who all have fire-affected properties on Scrub Road.

She complimented the Tenterfield community on its resilience, and encouraged those affected by the fires to take advantage of the services set up at the showground.

Emergency Services Minister David Elliot took the opportunity to announce a $40,000 grant to BlazeAid to support them in their work to help the community recover.

Earlier the group had visited Glen Innes.

Ms Berejiklian said she was "shocked" to observe the severity of drought conditions as she flew into the town for a briefing on the fire situation.

She said easing weather conditions had temporarily reduced the risk but that there are too many fires to rest comfortably given the persistent lack of rainfall.

"What shocked me perhaps the most flying over to get here is - I was here a few years ago - and the dry conditions are really, really severe. I can't emphasise that enough.

"But to see from the air how dry the conditions are really explains how why so many of the fires are traveling so fast, why they're uncontrolled; this is really a condition on a condition."

RFS commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said NSW residents should expect a "long, drawn out, difficult fire season".

"And unfortunately we're expecting a deterioration of the weather conditions to increase fire dangers as we head into early next week," he said.

The Premier also committed to replacing every "drop of private water" used in fire operations.

Commissioner Fitzsimmons said there were long-standing arrangements in place in NSW to ensure water is replenished, trucked from areas without a shortage.

But he said the big problem can be keeping track of water debts the state owes.