<p>Rural firefighters continued to battle bushfires in New South Wales’s Hunter region on Sunday after having successfully contained a blaze threatening homes near Port Stephens on August 18.</p><p>The NSW Rural Fire Service also successfully defended a number of homes at Tanilba Bay from the encroaching bushfires over the weekend. 2DAYFM reported</a> Lemon Tree Passage Road, which runs through Salt Ash and connects Port Stephens to Newcastle, had re-opened on Sunday morning with power and telecommunication services in the area also being restored. Back burning operations in Salt Ash will continue through the week, Port Stephens Examiner reported</a>.</p><p>Footage taken from Fingal Bay show the fires burning around 6 pm near Shoal Bay, southeast of Salt Ash.</p><p>New South Wales’ extremely dry summer and a spate of bushfires has led officials to introduce the state’s first ever winter fire ban, AAP reported</a>. Credit: Bushra/Flight Care Agency via Storyful</p><br />
