Parts of the NSW South Coast are in "chaos" as a mass exodus of holiday-makers begins before a return of extreme fire danger on Saturday.

Although the fire danger has been downgraded since bushfires swept through the region earlier this week, a number of towns are now experiencing food, water and fuel shortages.

There are reports of people queuing up at supermarkets and petrol stations for upwards of five hours.

Many are taking to social media to share photos of lines snaking around businesses.

As tourists heed authorities' warning to leave the area, traffic is gridlocked across the region.

And with telecommunications still down in some locations, even a phone box had a line.

Late Wednesday, the RFS warned tourists to leave before Saturday and said those planning to travel to cancel their trips.

A "tourist leave zone" has been established from Batemans Bay to the Victorian border.

But not all roads could be opened until trees and debris were cleared.

NSW Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said conditions on Saturday would likely be worse than those on New Year's Eve, which left a trail of destroyed homes, businesses and utility lines.

He confirmed on Thursday the number of houses lost on New Year's Eve had climbed to 382 and could jump much higher as assessments of the damage continue.

"There's still a lot of the fire grounds that need to be surveyed and validated from the ground," Mr Fitzsimmons told the Nine Network.

"Of course there are a lot of other buildings, lots of other infrastructure, power infrastructure, telecommunications, all sorts of things have been affected."

He said extreme fire danger was likely on Saturday over regions in southern NSW, overlapping with pre-existing destructive bushfires.

Setting containment lines would be the RFS' priority until that time.

"We're expecting to see temperatures up into the high 40s, a westerly-northwesterly wind pattern will dominate which means it'll bring very hot, very dry air across the region," Mr Fitzsimmons said.

NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance, who lives in Malua Bay south of Batemans Bay, saved his home but several neighbours' homes were razed.

He broke down on ABC TV on Thursday morning outlining the devastation, and implored South Coast tourists to get out.

"The RFS have been deadset about this, it is dangerous. We have a lot of active fires, big fires, unprecedented fires," Mr Constance said.

"It's unfair ... I met four RFS guys yesterday who lost their homes. Beautiful neighbours of mine who lost their homes ... we will get through together."

On Wednesday, police found three bodies in the fire-gutted communities of Sussex Inlet and Yatte Yattah. Seven people have died since Monday, including a person found outside a home near Cobargo.

Coolagolite farmer Steve Shipton survived the same fire front but thought he "was gone" as, with burning eyes, he tried to save his family and home.

"It's just unbelievable. The ferocity and how quick ... that's what shocked me and that's why I thought we were in a good situation to survive," the soot-covered farmer told AAP on Wednesday.

A Belowra man, 72, remains missing, but an 81-year-old woman who was missing in Conjola Park has been located safe and well.

Tens of thousands of homes across the South Coast are also without power after transmission lines were on Tuesday damaged.

The Australian Defence Force on Wednesday continued to provide refuelling, retardant loading and support services for RFS aircraft.

Very high fire danger is forecast on Thursday for eight fire districts on or west of the Great Dividing Range while high fire risk is due for some coastal regions.

More than 110 fires are burning across the state, with more than 50 uncontained.

Since the start of July, at least 15 people have died and more than 1200 homes have been destroyed by bushfires in NSW. More than 3.6 million hectares - three times the size of Sydney's metro area - have been burnt.