Three large fires burning in central Australia have broken containment lines on their western flanks.

Bushfires NT director Steve Sutton says a fire at Yambah Station, about 100 kilometres north of Alice Springs, is being fanned by westerly winds towards Napperby Station on the Tanami Road.

Another fire on Angas Downs, near the Luritja Road, has broken away and Mr Sutton says it is heading towards Kings Canyon.

He says the fire of greatest concern is burning on three fronts, south and east of Alice Springs, and is threatening several homesteads.

"(It is moving) towards Maryvale and Deep Well, the stations in that area," he said.

"We worked overnight, with some assistance from volunteers and staff from Alice Springs, to try to put in place some containment lines during the cool of the night.

"They weren't entirely successful.

"The stations have been undertaking some aerial surveys this morning to revise their plan to try again to put in containment lines."

Mr Sutton says the fire started more than a week ago in the Simpson Desert and has burnt on three fronts across hundreds of kilometres.

The two fronts on the edge of the Simpson Desert are approaching Nummery and Indiana stations but there are a limited number of people available to defend the area, he says.