Rural Fire Service Illawarra District Manager Superintendent Greg Wardle said recent hazard reduction burns luckily prevented the fires jumping the road and putting homes at risk.

“We had high temperatures today, a severe fire danger rating with low humidity and strong winds … it could have been a lot worse,” he said. 

“[Arson] is a very serious offence that could incur potential jail time, it is a moronic thing to do.”

A NSW Police spokesman said a number of youths were being spoken to about the matter.

Emergency services were called to the oval around 4:30pm to find a number of spot fires.

Both RFS and Fire and Rescue NSW crews were brought in to battle the fires.

It came just two hours after another blaze which was sparked at nearby Burroo Street and forced trains to stop running on the South Coast line. The cause of that one hectare blaze was still to be determined.

Meantime the the RFS is encouraging residents to drop by their local fire station this Saturday and Sunday to talk about how to prepare their homes and families for the bush fire season.