UPDATED: Monday, 4.08pm
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A small section of Cessnock Cemetery sustained damage in a bushfire on Saturday afternoon.
Cessnock City Council staff are working quickly to ensure the area is safe and will to continue to work hard to carry out restoration works.
Sadly some vases, plaques and flowers have been damaged. Council is making every effort to contact affected families. For more information, call the cemetery office on 4993 4220.
Bushfires and strong winds kept emergency services personnel busy in the Cessnock area over the weekend.
A fire at Kearsley on Saturday afternoon reached 'watch and act' level, with the Rural Fire Service urging nearby residents to put their bushfire survival plans into action.
Aerial waterbombing crews were engaged to contain the fire near Congewai Street, which burned through eight hectares and was brought under control by Saturday night.
Earlier on Saturday, a grass fire burned through five hectares on Kerlew Street, Nulkaba (near the cemetery).
Wind gusts of up to 80km/h also brought down numerous trees and power lines around the Cessnock LGA on Saturday. The Cessnock City State Emergency Services (SES) Unit fielded more than 50 requests for assistance, helped by the Cessnock District Rescue Squad, Maitland SES and Singleton SES.
The warm weather is set to continue this week, peaking at 34 degrees on Saturday.
Stay tuned to weatherzone.com.au for the up-to-date forecast, and to the NSW RFS's Fires Near Me page for bushfire information.
