New muddy challenge for Hudson fire crews as storms roll into Walgett

Over 26 millimetres of rain fell in Walgett on Monday, November 20, assisting NSW Rural Fire Service crews get the flames under control.

Firefighters are using heavy machinery to extinguish hot spots.

According to Superintendent Viki Campbell, an incident controller at the Coonamble Fire Control Centre, there are still internal fires in tree trunks.

"The rain is obviously most welcome as far as helping to extinguish this fire for us, but at the same time, it also inhibits our access to the fire ground," Superintendent Campbell told the Daily Liberal.

"With the roads in the condition they are, and particularly the heavy vehicles that we have for firefighting, that's really hindered our access.

"However, we have managed to get some of our light vehicles around, and the rainfall has been significant enough that it's had a good effect on extinguishing the fire for us."

The Hudson fire has burned almost 23,000 hectares of land since it began from a suspected dry lightning strike on November 12.

The fire is now under control but fire crews will likely remain in place for the next few days until they deem the area to be safe.

"We are still patrolling but we're in a good position as far as that fire and putting that fire out," Inspector Campbell said.

The RFS anticipates some of the larger trees will burn for "some weeks internally".

"The important thing is from our perspective though, that we've solidly extinguished the edge, so there's no chance of that fire escaping and then starting to run again," Inspector Campbell said.

The firefighting community are mourning the death of a volunteer firefighter who was killed battling the blaze on Thursday, 16.

Captain Leo Fransen from the Diamond Beach Rural Fire Brigade was struck by a tree while fighting the Hudson Fire and died.

The fire has burnt in and around the Narran Lake Nature Reserve area, approximately 70 kilometres north-west of Walgett and 50 kilometres south-west of Lightning Ridge.