GILGANDRA-based Rural Fire Service (RFS) crews have been pleased to officially confirm that a large-scale grass fire south of the township is now considered out.

On Thursday 24 March at approximately 12.35pm, RFS crews received reports of a grass fire which broke out at Bairstows Lane.

The fire spread quickly due to difficult weather conditions, reaching 146 hectares at its peak.

The response to the blaze was also at a large scale, with multiple RFS crews from the Castlereagh Zone, including Gilgandra, Balladoran, Deep Creek, Bungy-Leeches Creek, Breelong, Curban, Armatree, Bearbung, Drinane, Kamber and Gowang.

Duty Officer and District Officer of the Castlereagh Zone Graham Parker said crews were also assisted by a Castlereagh Group 2 Officer, a crew from the Orana District's Eumungerie Brigade and a bomber which made water drops.

"It was difficult conditions in lots of different weather fronts - one minute things would be starting to settle and then the next, it would be hit with another 20-30km/h breeze," Mr Parker said.

"Fortunately, it was contained to just bush and grass, however, the bomber was brought in when a couple of structures started to come under threat - within a couple of hours - and stopped the spread.

"(However) for this fire season, it's definitely one of the larger grass fires we've had in this region."

According to Mr Parker, crews had the fire contained by 3am on Friday 25 March, however local brigades were patrolling the site up until this morning when it was officially declared out.

He said it has since been established that the cause of the fire was a lightning strike which hit a tree near the intersection of Wycott Lane and Bairstows Lane.

ABOVE: A tree struck by lightning is believed to be the cause for the blaze. Image courtesy of Gilgandra RFS.

In a recent statement regarding the incident, the Gilgandra RFS crew congratulated everyone who was involved in containing the blaze.

"It was a great effort from everyone involved and a reminder that fires can start in all kinds off conditions," they said.