The Hunter’s bushfire emergency has eased overnight, following a weekend of emergency warnings and evacuations.
The Lone Pine Fire in Port Stephens is currently at a Watch and Act level, with fire crews still struggling to get the blaze under control.
As of 8.15 this morning, the blaze had burned through more than 6500 hectares of bush and is currently moving through areas of Karuah, Balickera, Limeburners Creek and Swan Bay.
Fire activity has increased on the southern edge of the fire, which is to the north of Medowie. Crews are using heavy plant equipment to construct containment lines and may backburn where conditions allow. Residents may see an increase in fire and smoke when backburning operations commence.
Residents of Limeburners Creek, Karuah, Swan Bay and Nine Mile Creek should continue to monitor the situation and take advice from firefighters in the area.
The threat to North Arm Cove and Carrington has eased.
The Pacific Highway is open in both directions but The Bucketts Way is still closed to traffic.
Further north, a Kundabung fire front has burnt across containment lines in the area to the west of Wortley Drive at Beranghi. The fire is currently burning to the west of Wortley Drive and is burning in a south-easterly direction. There is a small number of isolated rural properties in the area.
Firefighters are working in the area. They are being assisted by waterbombing aircraft.
People in the area of Wortley Drive should monitor the situation and be alert to burning embers. These embers may start spot fires ahead of the main fire front.
Meantime, Cessnock’s Racecourse Road fire is at Advice level, after being down graded from a Watch and Act yesterday.
The fire has now burnt approximately 900 hectares of bushland in the area between Racecourse Road, and north of Kitchener and west of Kearsley.
Conditions have eased and there is no immediate threat to properties in the area.
Fire licking the edge of rural properties near Medowie. Under control at the moment @nbnnews pic.twitter.com/ZmS0pmQ0aJ
— Kate Haberfield (@katehaberfield) November 7, 2016
Fire crews battling spot fires flaring up at Cessnock @nbnnews @NSWRFS Advice level pic.twitter.com/2icW7g00ZL
— Tyson Cottrill (@TysonCottrill) November 7, 2016
Morning smoke haze starting to clear in #PortMacquarie @nbnnews pic.twitter.com/eBibVFlKuC
— Louise Rennie (@lourennie) November 7, 2016
