But temperatures in the high twenties and strong winds proved a hellish combination for firefighters on Saturday. Soon large swathes of the Hunter were alight. 

When the ‘Lone Pine’ fire sparked in Balickera on Friday, it was contained before it came within striking distance of homes. 

But the fire had a sting in its tail. Over the next 48 hours, it would tear through over 6000 hectares of bushland, leaving firefighters on the back foot as it changed direction multiple times. 

The village of Limeburners Creek – which has a population of just over 300 people – had a narrow escape on Saturday afternoon, only to find itself coming under ember attack again on Sunday evening as the fire made a late charge in its direction. 

Rural Fire Service operational officer Paul Best said it was only by the sheer dedication of fire crews that the village was saved. 

“It was a really hard fight but a great result,” he said.

Much of Sunday was spent defending homes to the east, around Karuah, Swan Bay and Twelve Mile Creek. Soon, all paths in and out of Karuah were cut off by fire. 

“We’re all locked in,” supervisor of the Karuah and District RSL Club Wayne Patterson told the Herald. “A bus of tourists ended up stranded in town, but I think they’ve enjoyed themselves.” 

There were similar erratic conditions on the fire ground at Cessnock. The blaze had erupted near Racecourse Road on Saturday as temperatures climbed to 29 degrees and wind gusts reached nearly 60 kilometres an hour. 

On Sunday, homes around Kitchener were being threatened but emergency services managed to prevent the front from making a run towards Abernethy.

The rest of the Hunter didn’t escape the chaos, as the closure of the Pacific Highway between Balickera and Bulahdelah caused bottlenecks several kilometres long. Around 2100 homes and businesses lost power after the bushfire damaged power poles between Cessnock and Paxton.

The cause of the fires was still unclear on Sunday night, but two teenagers were being dealt with under the Young Offenders Act, after they allegedly lit a campfire during a total fire ban at Shoal Bay on Saturday. It burnt out an acre before it was extinguished.

On Sunday evening, hundreds of firefighters were still working to contain 14 fires burning across the Hunter, while air tankers dropped orange retardant from overhead. More than 7500 hectares had been razed. 

Strategic back-burning operations would take place overnight, Mr Best said. 

“The threat has not passed. We are looking at warm temperatures and blustery conditions on Monday.”