FIRE crews are bracing for severe fire conditions on Saturday with total fire bans in force to try and prevent the worst unfolding.
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All 14 council areas in the New England North West region are covered by the total fire ban with hot and gusty conditions forecast.
Firefighters are on standby in the North West, New England and Northern Slopes should a blaze break out.
But they're urging locals to be vigilant with several blazes already burning in the Northern Tablelands and the Narrabri area.
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Liverpool Range RFS district manager Myles O'Reilly said a strike team was deployed to the raging bush fire at Mount Kaputar near Narrabri on Thursday.
Eleven crew and five trucks are on the ground until Sunday, "which is sorely needed up there".
Mr O'Reilly said "they've got a good strategy in place at the moment".
"They are doing back-burning operations [and] we are pretty confident that the strategies in place are effective but having said that, wind conditions can change very quickly," he said.
"They're planning ahead for worst-case scenarios."
The RFS said the fire was more than 11,000 hectares in size and burning in all directions but was being controlled on Friday.
Firefighters will continue patrolling the perimeter, looking for any breaks in the containment lines or spot fires and aircraft and heavy plant will aid ground crews when needed.
On Friday, a grassfire near Armidale forced the closure of the New England Highway as it licked the back fences of homes on the edge of town.
Police had to close the road near Queen Elizabeth Drive as crews worked to douse the flames.
