UPDATE: MONDAY EVENING
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RFS has issued an emergency warning for the Kingsgate fire near the Newton Boyd area.
The blaze is currently heading towards Newton Boyd, burning within the Brother state forest. RFS advise residents in the Newton Boyd area should take shelter as the fire approaches, and do their best to protect themselves from the heat of the fire.
Advise for the Wytaliba and old Grafton road areas remains the same - watch out for embers and extinguish spot fires.
The Kingsgate fire has burned more than 16,000 hectares - about 5000 today alone - and is out of control.
UPDATE: MONDAY
The Kingsgate fire near Red Range has burned 11000 hectares of bushland in the area of the Brother state forest, and closed the school in Wytaliba.
RFS advise the threat to homes has eased since an emergency on Saturday, with Old Grafton Road reopened.
Nonetheless, the fire remains out of control and has burned more than 11,000 hectares.
RFS also advise that where possible crews will take advantage of favourable conditions to hold containment lines.
UPDATE: SUNDAY MORNING
Old Grafton Road, which was closed between the Gwydir Highway and Henry River Bridge at Newton Boyd, has been reopened.
UPDATE: SATURDAY AFTERNOON
The Red Range fire has eased off and an emergency warning quashed after turning for the worse on Saturday afternoon, threatening homes in the Wytaliba area.
The bushfire has burned more than 7400 hectares in the Brother state foret area and remains out of control, but has been downgraded from emergency to watch and act.
The fire is burning in a northerly direction towards vicinity of Wytaliba. Spot fires are starting ahead of the main fire.
With easing conditions the threat to homes has eased, and favorable conditions are expected tonight.
Old Grafton Road remains closed between the Gwydir Highway and Henry River Bridge at Newton Boyd.
RFS advice is that residents in the area of Wytaliba should monitor conditions and follow their bush fire survival plan or if they do not have one, make a decision as to what to do if the fire threatens.
The RFS also recommends residents keep a look out for spot fires and do their best to extinguish any that flare up.
UPDATE: SATURDAY MORNING
RFS crews are still containing the Kingsgate Red Range fire, which is currently burning within the Brother State Forest to the west of Newton Boyd and east of Glen Innes.
Firefighters have exploited recent relatively mild conditions to conduct burnoffs and construct containment lines on the western edge of the fire.
Yesterday a spokesperson said the fire poses little threat to property at the moment, allowing the RFS to take action ahead of what is expected to be worsening conditions next week.
The fire has so far burned up some 4600 hectares of bushland and state forest. Glen Innes was yesterday blanketed with smoke for hours.
The fire remains out of control and at advice level.
RFS recommends residents in the area of Newton Boyd and Whytaliba be aware of embers, for fear of spot fires.
Residents should do their best to extinguish spot fires that do occur.
RFS also recommends residents check and follow their Bush Fire Survival Plan. If they do not have one they should make a decision as to what to do if the situation changes.
Leaving early is your safest option.
"When the fire is on your doorstep it's not the time to make a decision," a spokesperson said yesterday.
EARLIER:
A fire burning out of control 15 kilometres east of Glen Innes is heading towards Wytaliba.
The blaze, which started at Kingsgate near Red Range, has already burned 2704 hectares.
The fire is currently set at advice level.
A spokesperson for the RFS said there's little or no danger to property right now, but said residents should keep a "watching brief".
With conditions likely to intensify early next week, he advised residents to make a decision about what to do if the fire does move towards those communities
"When the fire is on your doorstep it's not the time to make a decision," he said.
But even with relatively benign conditions last night, strong winds sent spot fires kilometers ahead of the main fire front.
With southerly winds expected today, both the main fire front and embers will head towards the village of Wytaliba.
The spokesperson said the community needs to stay switched on and be ready to act if the situation changes
RFS recommend residents monitor their property for spot fires, and if one starts they do what they can to extinguish it.
Firefighting crews are using the less severe conditions to build containment lines.
The RFS also advise residents to check and follow your Bush Fire Survival Plan, or if they don't have one to decide what to do if the situation changes. Leaving early is your safest option.