A 42-year-old truck driver has escaped injury after his truck caught on fire as he was driving up the mountain out of Freemans Waterhole about 11.30am.
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He was driving a new Western Star truck up the hill toward the gap when he noticed smoke coming from behind the fuse box.
The Toll Group driver pulled the truck over at the top of the hill where two lanes converge but was unable to extinguish the fire.
The prime mover was soon engulfed in flames which escaped into the bush.
Rural Fire Service trucks are still on the scene and have extinguished the truck fire as well as the bushfire.
The driver, who did not want to be identified, was taking Coca Cola products from Sydney to Tamworth when the incident occurred.
He was relieved that the fire happened in an accessible area and that no one was hurt.
"It could have been a lot worse if it had happened somewhere else," he said.
Freemans Drive remains closed in both directions.
Traffic is being diverted around the area.
Motorists are urged to avoid the area and use George Booth Drive.