Police say a fire near Tenterfield which burnt almost 300 hectares worth of land at the weekend was caused by three young children playing with matches.
Strong winds quickly fanned the flames, which destroyed a small cottage and killed a number of cattle near the New England Highway on Sunday.
Crews worked throughout the afternoon, including with support from water bombing aircraft to control the blaze, which at one stage was upgraded to an emergency level warning.
Officers later spoke with three children, aged nine and 10, with it believed the trio had been playing with matches at a nearby property.
“Parents have a vital role to play in educating their children about fire safety to help ensure they don’t play with fire and potentially injure themselves or others,” said Detective Inspector Matthew Hemsworth.
