Detectives are investigating whether arson is to blame for suspicious bushfires across the Hunter and Lake Macquarie this month.
Blazes at Rothbury and Muswellbrook, which began in catastrophic weather conditions on November 12, as well as fires at Awaba and Morisett are on the list of incidents under the spotlight of NSW Police.
Strike Force Tronto, made up of detectives from the State Crime Command's arson squad, are investigating 21 fires across NSW.
The news comes as weather conditions are expected to deteriorate in the Hunter again this week.
A top of 39 degrees is forecast for Singleton on Thursday and Friday with a high of 37 predicted for Saturday.
Coalfields towns were the scene to two major bushfires that reached emergency warning status last week at Greta and North Rothbury, where three homes were damaged.
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The Newcastle Herald reported last week that the prospect of the Hunter fires being the work of fire bugs was causing angst in the affected communities.
"They deserve the full brunt of the law, and then some," North Rothbury resident Kylie Shannon said at the time.
Police said on Wednesday that 54 people had either been cautioned or charged for bushfire-related offences across the state in the past year.
"Bushfires can be catastrophic and any report of a deliberately-lit fire is treated extremely seriously," Assistant Commissioner Stuart Smith said.
"Profiles on people deemed to pose a risk in relation to potential bushfire arson are prepared each season and provided to individual police area commands and police districts.
"This process continues using additional intelligence collected throughout the danger period."
