Rainfall predicted in the New England over the next couple of days is expected to provide little relief for firefighters battling the state's largest bushfire.
RAINFALL predicted in the New England over the next couple of days is expected to provide little relief for firefighters battling the state's largest bushfire.
What is being called the Macleay River fire, about 50km south-east of Armidale, has now been burning for almost two weeks.
The fire has grown to cover more than 48,500 hectares, or about 120,000 acres, of land in the Oxley Wild Rivers, Cunnawarra and Carrai national parks.
Rainfall on Tuesday was light, but it was enough to give Armidale Rural Fire Service (RFS) firefighters the upper hand.
Armidale RFS incident management team publicity liaison officer Brett Loughlin said it slowed the fire down, but didn't put it out completely.
Mr Loughlin said 20 firefighters were trying to get it under control on the ground yesterday as it began to wind down.
He said there was a chance of a light shower over the next couple of days and he hoped that would give firefighters a reprieve.
"But it could be patchy," Mr Loughlin said.
"We need about 20 millimetres (of rain) on the active fire to declare it out."
He said 46 structures had been saved in the past week as the blaze threatened homes. He said no more homes were under threat and aircraft flyovers were monitoring the blaze.