The blaze quickly spread west towards Bombah Broadwater, ultimately burning out about 700 hectares.

"It was a fire that had a great deal of potential," team manager of the NSW Rural Fire Service's (RFS) Manning Team, Superintendent Kam Baker said.

"There was concern for a pine plantation in the fire's path and also the potential for the fire to run towards the village of Nerong."

With the fire burning in coastal heath and bushland on private property and in the Myall Lakes National Park, firefighters from the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) responded to the blaze and were soon joined by NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) units and more than 50 firefighters and five water bombing aircraft, including an Erickson S-64 Air-crane helitanker.

Together they worked hard over that weekend to stop embers from ridge tops near Bombah Broadwater creating new spot fires to the west and south of the fire in grasslands and the pine plantation.

"The fire escalated over the course of the Saturday night," Superintendent Baker said.

"But we managed to protect the pine plantation and Nerong and spent Sunday putting in containment lines. By Sunday evening the fire was contained between the Myall River and Boundary Trail to the east, Bombah Broadwater to the north, Nerong Park Trail to the west and Green Hill Trail to the south."

No homes were threatened by the fire but the crews worked to protect nine fishing huts from burning embers at Tamboy on the Myall River.

The crews spent the Monday strengthening and patrolling containment lines with ground crews and aircraft focusing their efforts of the southern and western edges of the fire in anticipation of south easterly and easterly winds later in the day.

The Engels Reach fire is the third major bushfire in the Great Lakes this summer with a fire which began on January 21 burning out 250 hectares behind Nicko's Mill at Booral and a fire in Stoney Creek Rd, Markwell which started on January 17 burning 485 hectares.

"It is unseasonably dry for this time of year and we are asking residents to be vigilant and report any fires to 000 immediately," Superintendent Baker said.