Firefighters battle blazes at Kearsley, Forster

THE Hunter escaped relatively unscathed after a weekend of hot and windy weather sparked almost 100 fires across the state, but is likely to see a return to elevated fire danger before the end of the week.

NSW Rural Fire Service crews fought three fires in the Hunter across the weekend, at Martinsville near Cooranbong, Ferodale near Medowie and Kearsley near Cessnock.

RFS spokesperson James Morris said at 5pm on Sunday the Ferodale and Kearsley fires were "done and dusted" but the Martinsville fire was still being controlled, having burned 199 hectares.

It had been raised to a watch and act alert level on Saturday.

"We have identified containment lines for the entire perimeter of the fire and once we've locked in that it's contained it will go back to being under control [status], hopefully in coming days," he said.

"It's a rugged area and depends on the weather and tactics used.

"It may still be an active fire but we will keep monitoring it and extinguishing the hot spots where needed."

The RFS raised the alert level to watch and act for two fires burning near Forster at Minimbah Road and Failford Road Darawank on Sunday, but both dropped back to the advice level on Sunday evening.

Mr Morris said the RFS was still identifying fires started by lightning in recent days and asked people in regional NSW to download the Fires Near Me app to stay up to date with warnings in their area.

Mr Morris said there would be "favourable conditions" across NSW in coming days, which would bring some relief to firefighters.

"But we are seeing temperatures and winds increase from Tuesday and Wednesday onwards and are likely to see significant weather conditions back again late in the week and at the weekend.

"We're likely to see elevated fire danger. Potentially it won't be as bad, but it's too early to tell."

Mr Morris advised residents to discuss their bushfire survival plan with their household and prepare a kit with food, water, blankets, spare batteries for a radio and torch, insurance documents and photo identification.

"He said even homes located away from the bush could be subject to ember attack.

SES coordinator duty operations Carmel Phillip said there were 600 requests for assistance on Saturday including 278 in northern NSW.

This included 50 in Lake Macquarie, 40 in Newcastle and 40 in Cessnock.

"They were all related to trees down and minor roof damage, all things we'd expect through damaging winds," she said.

"They were run of the mill garden variety jobs, which is a good thing.

"You don't want to see anyone with major damage and people hurt."

The RFS has assigned the Greater Hunter a high fire danger rating for Monday.

UPDATE: SUNDAY 12NOON: FIREFIGHTERS have upgraded the status of a blaze burning out of control at Failford Road Darawank, north of Forster-Tuncurry, to 'Watch and Act'.

The fire has already burned more than 2300 hectares.

NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) spokesperson James Morris said crews were also fighting the fire from the air and using aircraft to drop water on the flames.

"It's picking up again in the northern part of fire ground, there's increased activity with warmer temperatures," he said.

"Crews are working on containment lines for that one.

"There's no threats to homes at the moment.

"It's still burning close to homes, but there's no direct threat at this stage."

The RFS said the fire had crossed The Lakes Way in the vicinity of Timbertop Drive and was burning in a easterly direction towards Corrigan.

It is producing large amounts of smoke, which may affect the Pacific Highway.

There is also fire activity on the Minimbah Road Fire to the south. Other fires are burning in the Tuncurry and Minimbah areas.

The RFS advised people in the Darawank, Hallidays Point, Corrigan, Tallwoods Village, Black Head, Red Head and Diamond Beach areas to be aware of burning embers, which may start spot fires ahead of the main fire front.

"Enact your bush fire survival plan and know what you will do if fire threatens," the RFS advised on its website.

"Take advice from firefighters in the area.

"Roads may be closed without notice according to conditions. Failford Road remains closed between the Pacific Highway and Lakes Way. Blackhead Road is open.

"The Lakes Way is being reopened between Failford Road and Aquatic Road. Please note that this will be reassessed through the day.

"Do not use fire trail roads as alternate routes. They are being used for firefighting operations.

"Nine Mile Beach, Tuncurry is closed."

Mr Morris said fires burning in Ferodale near Medowie and Kearsley near Cessnock were under control.

A fire burning in Martinsville near Cooranbong is being controlled.

"Crews are working on containment lines to strengthen them and undertaking back burning and direct attack," Mr Morris said of the Martinsville fire.

"Crews are making the most of good conditions to strengthen the containment lines and hit up burning hot spots," he said of the Ferodale and Kearsley fires.

Mr Morris said the RFS was expecting favourable conditions over the next few days before warmer weather returns in the middle of the week.

SES coordinator duty operations Carmel Phillip said there were 600 requests for assistance on Saturday including 278 in northern NSW, which covers Lake Macquarie (50), Newcastle (40) and Cessnock (40).

"They were all related to trees down and minor roof damage, all things we'd expect through damaging winds," Ms Phillip said.

"They were run of the mill garden variety jobs, which is a good thing.

"You don't want to see anyone with major damage and people hurt."

Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes thanked SES volunteers on Instagram on Saturday, after they responded to a tree that had fallen at her home and blocked the entrance to her garage.

Ms Phillip said the SES had additional staff working in the operations centre on Sunday to respond to "residual jobs' still being reported, but said the worst was over.

"The weather has definitely eased, there's a high pressure system in place for the next few days so it doesn't look like we'll see any significant weather."

UPDATE: SUNDAY 8AM: AT least one home has been lost after multiple bushfires threatened towns on the NSW mid-north coast.

One blaze west of Tuncurry jumped a river on Saturday and began spotting across the township that is home to 6000 people.

Less than 10 kilometres further north, another blaze led to emergency warnings for Hallidays Point and Darawank.

In the Hunter Region, three fires - Kearsley, Martinsville and Ferodale - were considered under control on Sunday morning.

"Conditions are expected to ease but it's still cause for concern," an NSW Rural Fire Service spokesman told AAP late on Saturday.

Electricity to some 20,000 homes in the area was also cut due to the fire threat.

Total fire bans will be in place on Sunday for the Greater Hunter, New England and the Northern Slopes.

That includes Newcastle, Cessnock, Tamworth and Armidale.

The Central Ranges, the Illawarra/Shoalhaven area and the North Western fire districts will also be at a very high fire risk.

The RFS said it received reports of damaged or destroyed properties on the 90-odd fireground across the state on Saturday.

More than 1600 firefighters, including those in 75 aircraft, battled blazes on Saturday.

Deputy Commissioner Rob Rogers said the dry, hot and windy conditions had meant fires across NSW were doing extraordinary things usually reserved for summer.

"It's horrendous," he told ABC.

"Some of these fires we've been dealing with for two months now, we're still in this really tough drought, it's very warm dry and windy conditions.

"So it's the worst conditions for firefighters and the fires are doing some extraordinary things that you would expect in the heat of summer."

Embers from the Tuncurry blaze travelled kilometres ahead of the firefront, creating spot fires in suburban backyards and the headland at Forster main beach.

Andrew O'Sullivan, whose five-acre property on the edge of the Tuncurry township is covered in now-charred rainforest, said cabbage tree palms had been exploding and the heat of the fire "literally melted the pots off the plants" in a nearby nursery.

"It looks like Armageddon," he told AAP on Saturday.

"We had it on four sides. I've never gone through this before and I never want to again."

Photographer Shane Chalker said his family evacuated but he stayed behind to put out spot fires.

"A friend was here helping me, hosing the roof," he told AAP.

Tuncurry resident Sue said her property was "being rained on with charcoal and debris".

Taree Golf Club and the Tuncurry Beach Bowling Club are serving as an evacuation centres.

Those in regional NSW are advised to download the Fires Near Me app to stay up to date with fire warnings in their area.

SATURDAY AFTERNOON: FIREFIGHTERS are battling an out of control blaze at Kearsley on a day of powerful winds and high temperatures in the Hunter.

The NSW Rural Fire Service said the fire was burning to the south of Kearsley, near Cessnock, in the area of Lake Road and Cessnock Road.

The fire was moving in a south easterley direction towards Kearsely Road fanned by winds of up to 75kmh.

Aerial waterbombing crews were hitting the fire along Congewai Street in Kearsley.

The RFS advised residents to put their bushfire survival plan into action.

It was one of 86 bush or grassfires that were burning across the state about 5pm, with 67 yet to be contained, according to the RFS.

"Unfortunately it's going to be a very long afternoon for firefighters and [people in affected areas]," Deputy Commissioner Rob Rogers said of the fire threat across the state about 3pm Saturday.

"Winds are incredibly strong and in some cases force aircraft to be grounded ... It's going to get worse before it gets better.

He said the last two months had been "horrendous".

"Crews are very tired, we're still in this very tough drought... it's the worst condition for firefighters," he said.

Fires were still burning around Forster and Tuncurry on the Mid North Coast on Saturday afternoon in difficult conditions including strong and gusty winds.

"There is significant smoke in the area. Reports of at least one property being damaged or destroyed," the RFS said.

It warned residents that smoke, ash and embers blowing towards Forster were creating spot fires that could threaten properties.

Residents at two locations on the Mid-North Coast are being evacuated as fire crews go up against testing weather conditions on October 26.

Rural Fire Service crews and residents are battling strong winds and high temperatures to protect homes from a 187 hectare bushfire at Darawank, near Forster-Tuncurry.

The fire has burnt to the coast and continues to burn close to properties near The Lakes Way.

At 2:20pm, the fire remains at emergency warning and The Lakes Way between the Pacific Highway and Failford is closed.

To the west, residents living between Knorrit Flat and Mount George were told to leave their properties at about 3.30pm and head towards Wingham.

The 234 hectare fire at Knodingbul Forest Rd remains out of control.

"Be advised that roads may be closed without warning. If you are unable to leave, take shelter as the fire approaches," the RFS warned.

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