JUST when fire crews thought they were on top it, Mother Nature delivered another testing blow.

On Tuesday (October 26) morning, the Crestwood-Lake Innes fire was reignited to an emergency situation in strong winds increasing the fire zone to more than 1500 hectares and threatening the southern villages of Lake Cathie and Bonny Hills.

Residents were evacuated from their homes, children were moved to safety at a nearby school and roads were closed to all traffic from the Pacific Highway east to Ocean Drive.

The skies were red and the air was thick with smoke as fire crews were once again pushed to the extreme.

Read more: Emergency alert issued as fire breaches containment lines

Residents living in Edgewater Close at Lake Cathie were evacuated first.

"The fire brigade came down the street and told us to get out," resident Ellen Rounsevell said.

"I grabbed my phone, wallet and clothes. I let the chooks out, grabbed the cockatiels and left.

"I feel absolutely sick not knowing. It's just a waiting game."

Residents in affected areas near Kenwood Drive, Long Point Drive and Houston Mitchell Drive urgently checked in on neighbours to ensure everyone was prepared if they had to flee.

There were cheers along the streets as Rural Fire Service and Fire and Rescue NSW crews supported by police moved into the village.

Shortly after, the aerial assault began with water scooped from Queens Lake and Lake Innes in a desperate attempt to keep the flames away from property.

Read more: 700 hectares scorched; backburning a priority

Roslyn Cimador was working at the winery with a fellow employee when they were told to pack up.

"We are just rushing around now and getting a few things in the car now," she said.

"There are large billows of smoke and it is quite deafening with helicopters and planes flying directly overhead. It is like a war zone."

Owner of My Place Early Learning Centre Chris Munro says visibility was down to just 200 metres at the Kenwood Drive centre this morning.

"It is pretty thick (the smoke)," he said.

"Kenwood Drive has been closed and the firies are going up and down talking to people.

"We evacuated the centre at around 11.30am with many of our parents picking up their kids.

"We have liaised with the Lake Cathie Public School and we transported any of our kids over there.

"Obviously we have been mindful of any children with health issues such as asthma."

Mr Munro also praised the professionalism of the ground and air crews battling the fire.

The former Cairns resident said he was used to cyclones and natural disasters but was wary of fires.

"They can change in a heartbeat," he said."A fire can create its own wind."

At 4.30pm, Reflections Holiday Parks at Bonny Hills were closed following instruction from NSW Emergency Services.

With safety of visitors and park guests at the forefront, Reflections Bonny Hills was instructed to evacuate the park until further notice. Guests were re-routed to the Group's Holiday Park at North Haven.

Reflections Holiday Parks CEO Steve Edmonds said safety was paramount and thanked everyone for their understanding and cooperation.

"Everyone is safe at this stage," Mr Edmonds said.

Read more: Waterbombing efforts overnight to contain Crestwood blaze | photos, video

The fire is believed to have started from a lightning strike on Saturday during a thunderstorm that rolled across the Hastings.

A fire erupted in the Lake Innes Nature Reserve and spread westward toward the Innes Lake-Brierley Hill residential estate. Spot fires erupted on the opposite side of Lake Innes late in the evening.

Up to 15 fire units, helicopters, Fireboss aircraft and the Large Air Tanker waterbombed the 700 hectare fire zone around the clock until it was declared controlled on Tuesday morning (October 29). Backburning commenced along Ocean Drive as a precautionary measure and residents rejoiced the efforts of all fire crews as no properties were lost.

By mid-morning, the situation took a turn for the worst when the wind ramped up its intensity.

It was officially an emergency. By mid-afternoon, it had doubled in size and so did the fire effort - 100 firefighters, 30 fire trucks and 10 aircraft.

RFS district officer Stuart Robb said aircraft will continue to work through to last light in an attempt to bring this fire under control,.

"This is a coastal heath fire and we are expecting it to burn for some time," he said.

Mr Robb says it is anticipated that the emergency rating will remain in place for some time.

He urged residents to stay up to date with the current fire conditions.

"This fire is wind driven and moving reasonably rapidly," he added.

District Officer for the RFS in Wauchope Kirsty Channon said the fire became serious very quickly and reiterated the importance of having a bush fire plan in place.

"Ninety per cent of homes are actually lost by ember attack," she said.

"Even if you are in town you may be safe from the flames but may be subject to ember attack.

"The basis of a good plan is knowing when you are going to go, where you are going to go to, what you are going to take and how you are going to get there.

"Every plan needs a plan B, what are your alternatives.

"It's going to be a long season and people need to be prepared."

The fire ripped a path quickly south towards Lake Cathie. Ocean Drive and Houston Mitchell Drive were close and evacuations commenced.

As a precaution, Lake Cathie Public School students stayed in the hall because of local poor air quality.

Some parents from evacuated areas collected their children from school early.

"The school advised parents from the most seriously affected areas to collect their children rather than have them walk home from their bus stop," a Department of Education spokesperson said.

Lake Cathie Bowling Club cooked up platters of food for evacuated residents who gathered at the lake reserve. North Haven Bowling Club will feed the firies.

Your Life Fitness Centre in Port Macquarie offered the use of showers and toilets for any firie needing a break while Wauchope Show Society has offered safe stables for livestock.

Laurieton United Servicemen's Club is the designated evacuation centre.

Fires have been raging across the Mid-North Coast since the weekend.

Crews from across the state were called in to assist at two major fires in Forster Tuncurry at Darawank and Minimbah, people were evacuated by helicopter at Willi Willi west of Kempsey and the Oxley Highway remains closed Mount Seaview.

Residents at Harrington remain on Watch and Act after a 1500ha fire threatened homes on Monday night.