Rob Harrison was "blissfully unaware" of a grassfire just 500m from his home sparked at about midday on Thursday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Residents of Kingsley Circuit told the Leader the blaze was a wakeup call and a reminder of last year's horror Black Summer.
Fire mitigation works are believed to have sparked the blaze about 11.30am in the hills above the Valley Drive neighborhood in East Tamworth. The fire is not currently a risk to life or property.
Mr Harrison said it's still "a little bit close for comfort".
He was working this morning on a webinar with his headphones on and was "blissfully unaware" of the large plume of smoke towering over the neighbourhood.
"I got a message from one of our neighbours that mentioned it," he said.
"Out I came and I was like - holy smoke!
"I think it might have been a little bit stronger than that [actually]."
Neighbour Tony Albertson said his wife Julie reported the fire to the RFS after coming back from the shops at about 11.30 on Thursday.
READ MORE:
The resident of over 25 years said he's never seen a fire before.
He said it's "a little bit of excitement for the morning".
"As long as the wind goes that way, we're laughing," he said.
The blaze is believed to have been ignited by machinery sparks from works on a fire trail that was being cut in the area.
Fire and Rescue NSW crews rushed to the blaze about midday after they were alerted to smoke billowing from the area, duty commander Peter Nugent said.
"There's a state mitigation crew from the Rural Fire Service doing some work there and somehow a fire started," he said.
The grassfire is near the intersection where Valley Drive meets Kingsley Circuit.
The alert level is at advice and the blaze is being controlled.
Tamworth Rural Fire Service crews are now the agency in control of the fire.