Firefighters are actively working to control a bushfire on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, which has already ravaged several hundred hectares since it ignited yesterday.

Authorities have warned that the crisis is far from being resolved as they strive to manage the blaze near Bulahdelah, where the fire initially broke out.

Residents in the Crawford River area have been advised that it is now too dangerous to evacuate and should instead find immediate shelter.

“It started with a few sparks in the paddock,” a local resident recounted. “But soon, a massive wall of flames surged up the driveway, and I realized I needed to protect the shed.”

Ugo Tolone, the District Manager for the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS), described the situation as “quite severe at the moment.”

“Because it’s in thick, heavy tea tree vegetation, which builds up a lot of smoke and runs very hard,” he said.

“We are concerned with this fire at the moment, and we are doing everything we can to make the footprint as small as possible.”

The fire is in a rural area comprised mostly of farmhouses and sheds, which the RFS says are under threat.

The fire is also causing delays on the M1 Pacific Highway, with just one lane open for almost 100km in both directions and a 60km speed limit.

Temperatures in the high 30s are expected to continue tomorrow.