The Lindfield Park Road fire in Port Macquarie has been upgraded to watch and act, as fire chiefs urge people to be careful in extreme weather.
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The Oxley Highway is now closed in both directions at Thrumster between Lindfield Park Road and John Oxley Drive.
There are diversions along the Pacific Highway to Blackman's Point and Hastings River Drive.
Drivers are advised to exercise caution and use an alternative route.
Total fire bans are in place as temperatures reach 34 degrees in Wauchope today and tomorrow (Friday, November 8).
Meanwhile the Oxley Highway is still closed in both directions between Brackendale Road and Comboyne Road on the route from Bago to Walcha due to a fire at Coombes Gap.
Drivers can travel via Raleigh and Armidale, using the Pacific Highway, Waterfall Way and the New England Highway, but this will add two to three hours to your journey time.
At 1pm firefighters were called to an out of control bush fire at Kenwood Drive, Lake Cathie.
My Place Early Learning Centre on Kenwood Drive notified families of the proximity of the blaze and some parents chose to collect their children.
Firefighters are also battling an out of control bush fire at Thrumster.
An emergency warning has been issued for Bills Crossing, for a bushfire burning in the Crowdy Bay National Park area. The fire is currently over 1750 hectares in size and is out of control.
If people are in the area of Bakers Road, Coralville and Bakers Trail they are advised to seek shelter as the fire approaches.
The fire has broken containment lines on the northern side of the fire and is moving east towards the coast.
The message for residents is to check and follow their Bush Fire Survival Plan. Leaving early is the safest option.
What to do during a fire
Follow your bush fire survival plan. If you do not have a bush fire survival plan, ensure you know what you will do before, during and after the fire. Remember - leaving early is your safest option.
Before the fire
- Put on your protective clothing
- Turn on the radio to keep yourself informed
- Bring pets inside and keep them in one room
- Close all windows and doors
- Block spaces beneath doors and windows with wet towels
- Fill buckets, sinks and bath tubs with water ready to put out spot fires
- Have your firefighting equipment like pumps and hoses connected to your water supply
- Block downpipes and fill gutters with water
- Remove items which can burn from around your home like outdoor furniture
- Bring ladders inside to check roof space for embers
- Patrol the outside of your home putting out any embers or spot fires
- Just before the fire arrives, wet down timber decks and gardens close to the house
- Move any firefighting equipment to a place where it will not get burnt
During the fire
- Go inside but stay alert
- Shelter in a room on the opposite side of the house from the approaching fire and one that has a clear exit out of the house
- Patrol inside the house, including the roof space looking for sparks and embers
- Protect yourself from the heat of the fire
- If your life is at risk, call triple zero (000)
Once the fire has passed
- Check your roof spaces
- Go outside and put out any part of your house which is alight
- Check under the house and any decks
- Check on your pets and animals
- Embers or sparks can start spot fires for many hours after the fire has passed
- If you can, contact your family and friends and check on your neighbours
Letitia Fitzpatrick
Worked as a journalist and assistant producer for BBC news and current affairs in the UK, Ulster Television, Q Radio and the Irish News in Northern Ireland. Moved to Australia and joined Fairfax Media in 2016. Won a Rotary Paul Harris Fellowship award in 2018 for reporting the Pappinbarra bushfires and the subsequent Rotary appeal which raised $30,000.
Worked as a journalist and assistant producer for BBC news and current affairs in the UK, Ulster Television, Q Radio and the Irish News in Northern Ireland. Moved to Australia and joined Fairfax Media in 2016. Won a Rotary Paul Harris Fellowship award in 2018 for reporting the Pappinbarra bushfires and the subsequent Rotary appeal which raised $30,000.
