Lower Hunter Rural Fire Service officials are warning of the dangers of burning off after a number of grass fires have burned out of control across Maitland, Cessnock, Port Stephens and Pokolbin.
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Twenty two firefighters worked through the night on Tuesday to contain a grass fire which swept through 200 hectares of land on Eelah Road, Mindaribba, north west of Maitland.
It is unsure how the fire started and investigations are being carried out to determine the cause of the blaze.
Lower Hunter RFS Operational Officer Mark Tobin said eight trucks and a crew of 22 fire fighters worked to extinguish the blaze during tough conditions.
"It was difficult accessing parts of the property because of soft terrain," Officer Tobin said.
"Crews will be back on the scene today to inspect the site and knock out any hot spots."
He said ground conditions across the Lower Hunter Zone are quite dry prompting a warning to property owners who plan burning off.
"Because the vegetation is dry on top at the moment fires can get away rather quickly, particularly if the conditions are windy," Officer Tobin said.
"Sure go ahead and burn off but be mindful of the changes to weather conditions.
"We've had a few fires - particularly last weekend - where grass fires got away in Pokolbin, Cessnock and Port Stephens.
"And due to the soft ground terrain it is making it hard to access some points in fire trucks."
