Firefighters are preparing for a challenging Saturday as they continue to combat a significant bushfire burning near Bulahdelah, which has already forced intermittent closures of the vital Pacific Highway.
Firefighters Face Protected Battle Amid Deteriorating Conditions
A spokesperson for the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) confirmed that approximately 70 firefighters were on the ground on Friday. They were supported by strike teams from brigades across the Hunter, Lake Macquarie, Central Coast, and Port Stephens regions. Aerial support, including a large Chinook helicopter, was deployed for waterbombing and property protection missions.
The fire ignited near the Pacific Highway, roughly five kilometres south of Bulahdelah, on Thursday afternoon. By Friday afternoon, it had already consumed about 1400 hectares of land. The RFS has warned that this will be a protracted incident, with conditions forecast to deteriorate further on Saturday due to hot, dry weather and strengthening winds.
Highway Disruption and Community Warnings
The blaze has caused major transport disruptions. The Pacific Highway was closed to all traffic for a 100-kilometre stretch between Twelve Mile Creek at Port Stephens and Nabiac on the Mid North Coast for several hours on Friday. While one lane in each direction reopened later with a 60km/h speed limit, authorities warned that the highway could close again at short notice.
Local roads, including Booral Road and Nerong Road, were also closed. The RFS urged people with weekend travel plans in the area to delay their trips if possible. Those who must travel were advised to stay updated with official warnings and check LiveTraffic NSW.
An emergency warning was issued and remained in place at 4:15pm Friday for residents in the Crawford River area along Emu Creek Road, south of Booral Road. They were instructed to seek shelter immediately as it was too late to leave. The fire was burning in a northwesterly direction in that area and spotting ahead of itself.
No Overnight Reprieve as Smoke Haze Spreads
Firefighters typically gain some advantage when conditions cool overnight, but crews at the Bulahdelah fire were not expecting significant relief. "We are not expecting a significant drop of conditions, it's not going to abate that much tonight," the RFS spokesperson said. "It's continuing to be dry and warm and those temperatures are going to rise very quickly in the morning."
The fire is burning through rugged terrain filled with tea tree and coastal heath vegetation, which is known to burn intensely and allow fires to spread rapidly. The smoke plume created a noticeable haze over Newcastle and reached as far south as Sydney's northern suburbs overnight Thursday into Friday.
The Bulahdelah showground has been closed to campers as it is being used for aircraft operations and as an RFS staging area. A total fire ban is in place for the Hunter region on Saturday, December 6.
Authorities are urging all residents, even those not under a current warning but near the fireground, to monitor conditions closely via the Hazards Near Me app. Any threatening fire without a fire appliance present should be reported to Triple Zero (000).
Meanwhile, the Milsons Gully Fire in the Upper Hunter, about 55 kilometres west of Muswellbrook, continued to burn on Friday, with residents in the Baerami area along Bylong Valley Way advised to leave if they were not prepared.
