The Coonabarabran bushfire started in the Warrumbungle National Park on January 12 and in the week following burnt out more than 54,000 hectares, killing hundreds of livestock and destroying 53 homes.

The landholders, known as the Coonabarabran Property Owners Alliance, believe the fire could have been brought under control much sooner and sent a letter to Mr O'Farrell on March 27, detailing their claim for compensation.

They did not receive a response from Mr O'Farrell until two weeks ago, in which he said given the fact the bushfire was currently the subject of a police investigation on behalf of the coroner it was "not appropriate to anticipate the outcome of those proceedings".

Landholders have levelled allegations against National Parks and Wildlife Service staff, saying the fire control workers went home on the night of January 12, before the devastating next day - now known as "Black Sunday" - when temperatures of 46 degrees and winds of 100 kilometres an hour drove the blaze to terrible ferocity.

"That of itself was behaviour so unreasonable that it could not be considered in any way a proper exercise of the duty of those agencies," the landholders said in the letter.

"It is further known that on the Sunday - a day of total fire ban - additional fires were lit in the park by staff."

Affected property owners have called for a halt on spending to restore the national park, and that the park remain closed, until they have received "fair and just compensation".

The landholders also want the government to establish a committee to "undertake an assessment as a result of the fire with a view to compensating those who suffered loss".

Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH) chief executive Sally Barnes said she was "saddened that the community in and around the Warrumbungles is experiencing a deep sense of loss", including her staff.

"It has affected them personally and professionally," she said.

"This feeling of loss is compounded when they are subject to allegations while an inquiry is being conducted.

"OEH is fully co-operating with the police on behalf of the coroner in their investigations."

Stephen and Louise Knight know all too well the severity of the blaze.

They produce wool, prime lambs and beef cattle on about 3200 hectares on Tannabah, one property away from Warrumbungle National Park. On Black Sunday the fire tore through a corner of their farm, killing 230 wethers.

During the next week it continued to burn, wiping out some 15 kilometres of fencing.

Procter Morris, who lives on Karinga bordering the national park, is secretary of the alliance and said the fire "should have been avoided".

"Knowing what the forecast was for Sunday, National Parks (and Wildlife Service) should have put every effort into putting that fire out (on Saturday night)," he said.

Michael Bowman is a deputy group captain of the Warrumbungle Mountain Group and a landholder adjoining the national park.

Yet, despite his seniority within local Rural Fire Service (RFS) ranks, he was not contacted until he received a group text message on Sunday evening. Mr Bowman said locals were not involved enough in the decision making.

"As the deputy group captain, I should have been called straight in once that fire broke out," he said.

"If I had been involved on that Saturday night I would have been calling every person in possible.

"When you've got a day like that the following day, you've literally got to do everything you can, straight away.

"You don't walk away and leave it."

Mr Bowman said it was "frustrating" and "humiliating" he was unable to help the landholders who had elected him as deputy group captain.

But RFS deputy commissioner Rob Rogers said local firefighters from the Warrumbungle Brigade were involved from the earliest stages of the fire.

"In fact, every RFS volunteer firefighter on the first day was a local, with five brigades involved."

"Local knowledge was embedded in all levels of the firefighting response, from the incident management team through to firefighters on the ground."

Kim Lambert owns the 2210 hectare Balmerah adjoining the national park which - apart from a small paddock surrounding her house - was completely devoured by the blaze.