A CAR has been engulfed by flames just south of Tamworth on Friday.
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A couple were on their way to Queensland when smoke started to billow from the bonnet of their Mitsubishi Pajero.
The pair pulled over immediately on the side of the New England Highway at about 7am, just before the front of the car caught fire.
Other drivers stopped and took to the blaze with fire extinguishers but the car was already well-alight.
Firefighters from Tamworth Rural Fire Service rushed to the scene, but the engine had already been destroyed.
Luckily the fire had not spread to the surrounding areas and no one was injured in the blaze.
It's been a busy week for Rural Fire Service volunteers as bushfires in the state's north-west have reached a combined perimeter of 2,500 kilometres.
That's the distance from Sydney to Brisbane and back again.
The sheer enormity of the blazes in Bees Nest, Kingsgate near Glen Innes and Jeogla have shocked even experienced Rural Fire Service NSW superintendent Allyn Purkiss.
"There's a lot of dirty work to be done, we have to use thermal imaging cameras to find hot-spots and put them out before the crook weather comes on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday," Mr Purkiss said.
"The fires are so big we just don't have enough volunteers to monitor all of the lines, all of the time.
"I haven't seen a fire at this scale, I was in charge of one around 2012, 2013 in this area that got to 87,000, but the Bees Nest fire on its own is over 100,000 hectares."
Weather conditions are expected to worsen significantly and a Total Fire Ban is likely to be in place on Monday for the state's north-west.
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Increased temperatures and winds are likely to put pressure on containment lines as firefighters supported by water bombing aircraft attack the blazes.
At this stage the Bees Nest fire has burnt through 100,300 hectares of the Chaelundi State Forest, the Guy Fawkes National Park and Pargo Flat.
Mr Purkiss said the situation would be much worse without the help of hundreds of volunteers, many who have left their properties to protect the community.
"Our wonderful volunteers are putting in a huge effort and doing a lot of hours," he said.
Madeline Link
Madeline Link is a journalist at the Newcastle Herald, with a focus on Lake Macquarie City Council. To keep up with my stories, follow my Twitter @madeline_link, for tips email madeline.link@newcastleherald.com.au.
Madeline Link is a journalist at the Newcastle Herald, with a focus on Lake Macquarie City Council. To keep up with my stories, follow my Twitter @madeline_link, for tips email madeline.link@newcastleherald.com.au.
