An emergency warning for a fire burning near the Newcastle Airport has been downgraded to advice, with crews finally getting the upper hand.

The strong winds did not let up on Sunday, with the fire has burning out almost 2,000 hectares and closing Newcastle Airport for a second day.

More than 200 firefighters were on the ground protecting properties. They were supported by aircrafts, including the very large air tanker Nancy Bird.

On Sunday evening there were still concerns about the strong winds, and fire crews said they would continue to monitor the situation.

By Monday morning the Rural Fire Service advised that fire activity continued to subside.

Firefighters will work through Sunday night to control the blaze and Grant Wargren, from the RFS, said the risk would come from embers starting spot fires.

"We're trying to put in hard barriers, we've had a lot of aircrafts work on it to try and slow the fire down, so we're optimistic we'll have it contained inside the blocks and it won't spread too much," he said.

Fire crews had aimed to contain the fire ahead of hot conditions expected later this week.

Firefighters extinguish spot fires around Medowie. ( ABC News )

Residents around Tomago, Williamtown and Raymond Terrace had been told to take shelter after the NSW Rural Fire Service issued an emergency warning for the blaze, which was threatening homes and has been burning all weekend.

Under southerly winds, the fire moved north of Newcastle Airport, just south of Richardson Road near Grahamstown Road.

The smoke from the bushfire as viewed from the Newcastle Airport on Saturday afternoon. ( Supplied: Greg Broadley )

Residents in the vicinity of Richardson Road, Grahamstown Road, Harvest Road, Pastures Drive, Medowie Road and Wade Close in Campvale were advised to seek shelter as the fire approached.

The Newcastle Airport was closed in the afternoon.

An emergency warning was issued for the blaze on Saturday, however, it was downgraded in the evening.

Late on Saturday, light rain took the heat out of the fire, but that prevented crews backburning overnight.