The blaze began not far from the Howell Road junction in Tingha and it was unable to be controlled by the Rural Fire Service.

Fire fighters subsequently went into property protection mode as five farmhouses were under an immediate threat. Two police officers who began evacuating residents under threat became cut off by the fire front and were forced to take shelter in their vehicles as the fire passed over and around them.

The officers sustained no injuries.

The Rural Fire Service meanwhile acted promptly to emergency calls of fire threatening homes at Gilgai.

“We had two fire trucks at each of those homes ready to protect them,” RFS spokeswoman Rebel Talbert said.

Three water bombing aircraft are also at the scene.

“It slowed the spread of the fire and helped work to protect those properties,” Ms Talbert said.

Fire crews have worked on containment lines along Howells Rd in the south, from Copes Ck to Thunderbolts Hwy, while on the northern side of the blaze crews have worked along the Wildflower fire trail and a new trail constructed between Copes Ck and the Tingha-Gilgai Rd.

Roads were blocked all around Tingha, Gilgai, Old Mill and off the Thunderbolts Way, trapping many commuters and travellers in a maelstrom of confusion.

Traffic was diverted through inlets such as Stannifer adding to travel time by as much as an hour. Rural Fire Service, SES, NSW Police and council were involved with road blocks, traffic diversions and evacuations.

Thunderbolts Way remained closed as burning roadside embers posed a problem.

“Currently the Thunderbolts Way between Gilgai and Howell Road remains closed, but all other remaining surrounding roads are open to traffic,” said acting sergeant Simon Alexander from Inverell Police on Wednesday morning.

“Our main concerns at the moment are the trees bordering the roadway.

“They have been severely burned and are still burning and obviously there is a threat of them falling.”

Police and the Rural Fire Service were undertaking a reassessment of Thunderbolts Way to determine when it will be safe to reopen to motorists.

All fire permits have been suspended until Monday.

While no injuries have been confirmed one police source told the Inverell Times yesterday they believed one man had been injured on a motorbike. It was uncertain if the man was injured before he got to the bike or if it occurred while riding through the fire.