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THICK smoke blanketed parts of the North West yesterday but fire crews were gaining the upper hand on a handful of fires last night.
Three fires were sparked in the Pilliga East State Forest earlier this week and threatened to shut the Newell Highway on several occasions as smoke billowed into the air.
The NSW Rural Fire Service is working to control the fires burning near Brigalow Rd, Emu Rd and Dangar Rd, along with crews from the National Parks and Wildlife Service and the Forestry Corporation.
The fires are burning about 20km apart, in difficult-to-access areas about 30km south west of Narrabri.
The RFS conducted an aerial patrol yesterday morning. The Brigalow Rd fire was burning in the vicinity of some remote rural properties, but there was no threat late yesterday to those homes.
RFS firefighters, as well as a fixed- wing waterbomber, are working to contain the Brigalow Rd fire and the National Parks and Wildlife Service is using heavy plant to create containment lines, while similar resources have been deployed by the Forestry Corporation and the RFS to the Emu Rd fire.
Motorists are being urged to monitor road closure updates and drive to the conditions as smoke isexpected to affect the Newell Highway.