Red Hill grassfire brought under control after burning through 670 hectares near Manilla Road area, south of Barraba

About 12 firefighters remained on scene in the Red Hill area on Thursday, on the outskirts of Barraba, almost 24 hours after the blaze broke out.

"Crews, with the assistance of rain overnight, were able to contain that fire, with crews on the ground today continuing to patrol," a Rural Fire Service (RFS) spokesperson told the Leader on Thursday.

"The containment lines are holding well, it's not fully out, but we'll continue to monitor in case there are any flare ups."

The RFS spokesperson said there had been quite a bit of rain fall on the fireground during stormy weather on Wednesday night, and calmer and cooler conditions had set in.

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By Thursday morning, the grassfire had burned through more than 670 hectares, mostly on the eastern side of Fossickers Way, near Oakhampton Road.

A large air tanker was tasked from Dubbo to support RFS crews and Fire and Rescue NSW teams on the ground.

The plane was able to drop fire retardant was well as water in a bid to douse the flames from above.

The remaining RFS crews were still at the scene mopping up the aftermath and monitoring the fireground in case conditions changed.

The blaze spread quickly on the eastern side of Manilla Road, climbing a ridge to the north.

The Leader was told the grassfire had been burning on three fronts at one stage on Wednesday afternoon and had jumped Manilla Road, after the first urgent triple zero calls came in about 2.20pm.

Firefighters were prepared to protect sheds and homes at isolated rural properties in the area if the fire risk worsened, but none came under immediate threat.

Oxley police had set up a roadblock as thick smoke billowed from the fireground and affected visibility for drivers.

The RFS spokesperson warned firefighters were particularly concerned about the risk of grassfires in the region, with vegetation growth running wild after rain and flooding.

Grassfires can move dangerously fast, up to three times the speed of a bushfire, the spokesperson said.

"As we continue into the rest of summer, even though we might be seeing rain, and have seen rain, it only takes a couple of warm and windy days for the threat to return and increase," the spokesperson said.

The RFS urged everyone to have a bushfire survival plan in place and ensure it had been discussed.

If people holiday over summer, they should know what the risks are and have a plan about what to do if fire threatens, especially when travelling in unknown areas.

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