Large plumes of smoke cast an eerie shadow across the Hunter Region on Wednesday morning, triggering health warnings for those susceptible to poor air quality.
It was caused by a fire burning in the area of Lake Innes and Lake Cathie, south of Port Macquarie, which had scorched 1700 hectares on Tuesday evening.
"Most of the smoke is drifting down under very strong north-north-easterly winds," Rural Fire Service Inspector Ben Shepherd said.
"It's likely the smoke will hang around for some time."
Children, older adults and people with heart and lung conditions are most vulnerable to the effects of air pollution and excessive smoke.
Asthma sufferers or those with a lung condition should stay inside.
NSW Health advised asthma sufferers to seek medical advice if they experienced shortness of breath.
The fire burning around Lake Innes is believed to have ripped through a known koala habitat and breeding ground home to a healthy population of "hundreds" of the vulnerable species.
Koala Conservation Australia president Sue Ashton said the koalas in the area were "of national significance".
"Those koalas are very genetically diverse; that's why it's so devastating," she said.
The number of koalas lost won't be known until rescuers can access the area.
RFS crews fear the fires may flare up again as winds and temperatures pick up later in the week.
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