Fire crews are trying to contain a large grass fire at Heddon Greta.
The blaze broke out just after 4am near the off ramp to the Hunter Expressway and is burning in a hectare of inaccessible swamp opposite the golf course but is not posing a threat to property.
Drivers on the Hunter Expressway are being advised to exercise caution due to the large amount of smoke in the area.
It's believed arcing power lines in high winds may have sparked the fire.
Meanwhile more than 50 firefighters have worked through the night on a bushfire at West Wallsend.
The fire started at about 8 o'clock in bush off O'Donneltown Road after a car was dumped and burnt out.
It took crews several hours to bring the 30 hectare blaze under control - no home were under threat.
