Monica Bentham, Brock Stone, Paul Hartley, Mitchell Bourke, Neal Swain and Sam Turner from Gunnedah Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) dropped everything on Tuesday and hit the road to back-up the Rural Fire Service.

On Wednesday afternoon, FRNSW zone superintendent Tom Cooper told the NVI that brigades in Tamworth, West Tamworth, Manilla and Inverell also sent crews firefighters.

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“We had two from west Tamworth, six from Gunnedah, four from Tamworth and two from Manilla, and another three from Tamworth on a tanker, so all up we had four appliances,” Superintendent Cooper said.

“They’ve all now been stood down and gone home and now we’ve got another strike team.”

Gunnedah Fire and Rescue captain David Welch commended the six local firefighters for putting their hands up.

“It's a huge commitment for them to go off and leave their families and leave their jobs after they’ve probably worked a full day and go out and work probably another 24 hours,” he said on Wednesday.

“It’s a credit to them and a huge credit to their employers for letting them go.”

Superintendent Cooper said the north strike crew might be needed back in the fire zone on Thursday.

On Wednesday afternoon, the Tingha fire had burnt more than 5,600ha and is still out of control.