UPDATE 5:30PM
No property has been lost after a long day for firefighters in the Campvale area.
RFS Hunter Inspector Rolf Poole says the main concerns are interior areas away from the main roads, at the back of properties, where pockets of bush remain unscorched.
Westerly winds are expected tomorrow morning but by the afternoon a southerly change will blow in, making conditions more favourable, however, Inspector Poole says we're not out of the woods yet because any wind can fan flames quickly in such a huge blaze.
Lemon Tree Passage Road is now open, meaning all roads in the area have reopened.
UPDATE 4:45PM
Nelson Bay Rd is now open in both directions with a reduced speed limit of 40 km/h in place.
Richardson Rd between Paul's Corner and the Medowie Rd roundabout is open to traffic in both directions.
Medowie Rd is now open between the Williamtown roundabout and Medowie.
Lemon Tree Passage Rd between Nelson Bay Rd and Brownes Rd is closed in both directions.
Newcastle Airport is open and operational, however expect traffic delays getting there.
UPDATE 4PM:
Easing conditions have seen the Campvale bushfire downgraded to Watch and Act.
Nelson Bay Road remains closed between Medowie Road and Richardson Road, with traffic at a complete halt near the airport. Anyone planning to travel is advised to avoid the area.
Two evacuation centres have now been opened; one at Raymond Terrace Senior Citizens and Community Hall on Irriwang Street, Raymond Terrace and another in Tanilbna Bay at Tilligerry RSL club on Lemon Tree Passage Road.
UPDATE 3PM:
The RFS' large Air Tankers and waterbombing helicopters have been grounded due to dangerously high winds, which is standard procedure for these conditions.
Small pockets of fire are threatening up to 30 homes at Salt Ash, with small fingers of flame moving towards individual properties.
Residents appear to be well prepared, with some leaving sprinklers on to protect homes and many following clear survival plans
The northern front is expected to ease up soon and windy conditions are expected to die off this evening, but weather conditions will continue to be monitored.
Nelson Bay Rd remains closed between Medowie Road and Richardson Road.
Elsewhere, 1 of 2 Southbound lanes is closed on the Pacific Highway at Twelve Mile Creek due to a grass fire near The Bucketts Way.
UPDATE 2:20PM:
Rookes Road and Lemon Tree Passage Road are the main areas of concern for crews battling a massive bushfire at Campvale.
Nelson Bay Road is once again closed between Medowie Road and Richardson Road due to the blaze.
There is currently no road access between Williamtown and Nelson Bay and motorists are advised to avoid the area.
Some embers are flying ahead of the main fire front, But Hunter RFS Inspector Rolf Poole says there's been no loss of property so far, as the embers are only flying 10 to 50 metres away from the main fire region, not some kilometres away.
UPDATE 1:20PM:
The blaze has grown to 1533 hectares. Crews are at the southern end of the fireground, in position to protect properties along Nelson Bay Road.
UPDATE 12PM:
Crews have been brought in from Sydney to help protect properties threatened by the Campvale bushfire.
185 firefighters are on the ground, while fixed-wing aircraft and the Erikson Air-Crane are attacking the 13-hundred-hectare blaze from the sky.
The fire's being driven by strong north-westerly winds towards Rookes Road and Lemon Tree Passage Road at Saltash, fanning flames and sending embers ahead of the fire front.
At this stage, only two sheds have been reported destroyed, and Hunter RFS Inspector Rolf Poole says crews are moving to protect homes.
"It's what we call house hopping, where we leapfrog each other, go from one house to the next as the fire comes out of the bush and comes towards the property, and those units who can be released leapfrog those that are busy, effectively offering property protection," Inspector Poole said.
UPDATE 10AM:
Students from Salt Ash Public School have been relocated to Fern Bay Public School today as a bushfire continues out of control.
An Emergency Warning remains in place with firefighters in position to protect homes along Nelson Bay Road.
Nelson Bay Road has now reopened in both directions between Medowie and Richardson Roads.
It means you can travel into Nelson Bay, but there's a reduced speed limit of 40 kilometres an hour, and motorists need to follow the direction of emergency services on site.
Strong winds are hampering firefighting efforts and residents in the area are being urged to shelter in place as the fire front approaches.
Hunter RFS Inspector Rolf Poole says conditions aren't expected to ease soon.
"The winds are picking up, and the Bureau of Meteorology has advised that we can expect winds of up to 90km/h today, so really not easing the situation whatsoever," Inspector Poole said.
A total fire ban remains in place across the Lower Hunter.
EARLIER:
A bushfire burning around Salt Ash, Pacific Dunes and Campvale has been upgraded to Emergency Warning as strong winds again whip up the flames.
Fire activity on the northern side of the fireground has increased over the past hour and the fire is moving towards Rookes Road, Salt Ash.
More than 180 firefighters are continuing efforts to control the blaze, which at one stage threatened homes at Salt Ash.
The blaze broke out early yesterday afternoon and has burnt through 1298 hectares.
There are reports of property damage, but no homes have been lost, with a timber shed and two shipping containers the only known losses at this stage.
Richardson Road remains closed between Grahamstown Road and Nelson Bay Road and Medowie Road is also closed between Nelson Bay Road and Ferodale Road.
The RFS says the fire remains at Watch and Act but this could change as the winds pick up again today.
Meanwhile, the Hospital Road fire at Weston remains at advice level after ripping through 62 hectares and is listed as being controlled.
Another fire at The Weir Road at Teralba which took hold in 10 large piles of mulch yesterday afternoon is also being monitored at Advice level after burning through 10 hectares.
And, NSW Fire & Rescue crews from Tingira Heights have taken about half an hour to extinguish a large grass fire which broke out just after 2 this morning near the PCYC at Windale.
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| Image courtesy Emergency Services Minister Troy Grant. |
