Dubbo awoke to the smell of bushfire smoke on Tuesday morning, but not quite as severe as we had during the biggest fires the region has endured over the past decade.

The "Cranbrook" fire near Toongi started during Monday's hot and windy conditions, and is believed to have been sparked by a lightning strike in the middle of a pine forest.

Firefighters responded quickly, with multiple fire crews, aircraft and council teams working on containing the damage.

The Dubbo-based "Bomber" firefighting aircraft, pictured here, made multiple drops of retardant, assisted by the "spotter" jet also in our photo.

By Tuesday night, the Rural Fire Service was reporting the fire as "being controlled", having burnt through 874 hectares.