Rural firefighters continued to battle bushfires in New South Wales’s Hunter region on Sunday after having successfully contained a blaze threatening homes near Port Stephens on August 18.

The NSW Rural Fire Service also successfully defended a number of homes at Tanilba Bay from the encroaching bushfires over the weekend. 2DAYFM reported Lemon Tree Passage Road, which runs through Salt Ash and connects Port Stephens to Newcastle, had re-opened on Sunday morning with power and telecommunication services in the area also being restored. Back burning operations in Salt Ash will continue through the week, Port Stephens Examiner reported.

Footage taken from Fingal Bay show the fires burning around 6 pm near Shoal Bay, southeast of Salt Ash.

New South Wales’ extremely dry summer and a spate of bushfires has led officials to introduce the state’s first ever winter fire ban, AAP reported. Credit: Bushra/Flight Care Agency via Storyful