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Boggabri’s Alan Eyles watched in disbelief as fire roared through paddocks at the rear of his residence.
“It was as black as anything,” Mr Eyles said.
“The fire was 6-7 foot high and moved like anything.”
The Grain Valley Road resident said his power went out about 1.50pm Sunday as the fire took hold.
He watched as the fire swept through the lower paddocks in an easterly direction toward Binalong Road.
All he could do was hope the wind stayed its course to keep the fire at a distance, which it did.
Rural fire crews spent Monday afternoon containing the odd flare-up at locations around the Boggabri fire.
It comes as a firefighter is still recovering in a Sydney hospital with serious burns to his arms, face and hands sustained in the fire.
It was as black as anything. The fire was 6-7 foot high and moved like anything.
- Alan Eyles
The Binalong Road grass fire was listed “under control” Tuesday morning after destroying at least one house and two outbuildings in the RFS’ initial damage assessment, which had covered just 30 per cent of more than 1000 hectares of fire ground.
Gunnible rural fire deputy captain Geoff Hood said his crew of six responded about 2pm alongside brigades from across the region.
An emergency warning was issued to residents to immediately take shelter from the fire which skirted Boggabri’s town limits and lapped at the rails of the showground.
A Strike Force from across the region was established to assist with the Boggabri blaze. It included tankers from West Tamworth, Gunnedah, Narrabri and Coonabarabran.
Once the fire was contained, the Strike Force was deployed to assist with Coolah fire.
Some fire crews returned to Boggabri early Monday afternoon to contain a number of small flare-ups. Some smoke was also still present in the area.
The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) warned that fire danger conditions were expected to deteriorate later this week.
“There will be a resurgence on Friday with the emergence of another cold front,” the BOM spokesman said.
Boggabri was one of 63 bush and grass fires burning around the state on Tuesday.
Fourteen were yet to contained including the “Watch and Act” Sir Ivan fire east of Dunedoo which had burned about 52,000 hectares.