A major motorway has partially reopened after a truck burst into flames, sparking a grassfire that threatened homes west of Newcastle.
Residents near the Pacific Motorway at West Wallsend were evacuated and the road was closed after the flames from the truck quickly spread to both sides of the road about 4pm today.
By 9pm, both lanes of the motorway had reopened northbound and one had reopened southbound, and the emergency warning had been downgraded to watch and act.
About 8.20pm, the fire was burning between the motorway and Boundary Road, pushing north towards Cemetery Road and south towards Fairley Road.
Firefighters were hoping to be able to backburn overnight but warned embers could fly ahead of the front and start spot fires.
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Further west, a fire burned through more than 160 hectares of land as it approached homes on Cessnock Road, Charles Street, York Street, Ridley Street, William Street and Hebburn Road, in Abermain.
Residents in Pelaw Main and South Weston were earlier told it was too late to leave, as the Kurri Kurri hospital was also threatened.
But conditions there also eased as the temperature fell and the RFS dropped the emergency alert to watch and act level at 7.30pm
Residents close to both fires were urged to watch out for embers and keep across changing fire conditions.
There were dozens of fires burning across NSW tonight.
