Newcastle firefighters were controlling a grass fire that broke out near Nobbys Head Wednesday afternoon, sending smoke billowing into the sky over the city around 2pm.
One fire crew has been dispatched to the area in Newcastle East, and a spokesperson for the NSW Fire Brigade has said the situation is in hand.
It was a fine and sunny day on the beaches Wednesday, though the surfers were hampered by a small and choppy surf under a fresh easterly breeze.
The swell fell away towards the afternoon under a baking 30-degree day in the city, ahead of an expected partly cloudy day Thursday before the chance of showers toward the end of the week.
