TAMWORTH people didn't wake up to a pleasant sight or smell on Sunday as a very thick blanket of smoke covered the city.
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It could have been easily confused for a winter's morning fog but the ashen smell in the air told the story.
The Office of Environment and Heritage rated the air quality on Tamworth on Sunday morning as extremely hazardous.
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The Air Quality Index (AQI) in the city (397) was double the benchmark the state government sets for hazardous air quality.
The situation was even worse in Gunnedah where the the AQI was listed at 573 on Sunday morning.
The Office of Environment and Heritage recommends everyone, especially people with pre-existing heart and lung conditions, avoid outdoor exercise and stay inside as much as possible.
Fires continue to burn around the region with work ongoing to contain fires at Kaputar, Moonbi, Walcha, Glen Innes, Ebor and Guyra.
The NSW Rural Fire Service confirmed this morning more than 300 homes are now confirmed destroyed following the bush fires which have affected large parts of NSW since Friday, November 8.
A total of 303 homes have been destroyed, bringing the total number of homes destroyed this bush fire season to 412.
Total fire bans are in place in the New England, Northern Slopes and North Western regions with severe fire danger ratings for all of those areas.
Tamworth is headed towards a top temperature of 31 today with some wind expected later in the afternoon.
Meanwhile, Gunnedah is headed for a top of 32 degrees.