At the start of November last year, dozens of homes came under threat as a fire raged out of control in bushland on Racecourse Road in south Cessnock.

About a month later, more than 1200 hectares of bushfire burnt around Abermain and Neath.

One month after that a five-hectare bushfire broke out and closed the Hunter Expressway at Loxford.

One week later, an inferno engulfed parts of Kurri Kurri and Heddon Greta.

Less than a week after that battle, fire crews scrambled to extinguish a 20-hectare fire in Kurri Kurri.