Authorities have backed the manner in which emergency warnings were delivered to Tathra residents in the moments before their NSW south coast town was hit by a raging bushfire on the weekend.
Fire crews on Monday afternoon confirmed 69 houses and 30 caravans or cabins were destroyed in the bushfires. A further 39 houses were damaged with nearly 400 saved.
"The first I heard of an emergency was when the cops drove past and yelled 'evacuate!' out of a megaphone," Tathra resident Janet Lewis told AAP on Monday. "Real old school."
Malcolm Turnbull tours the houses and businesses destroyed by a bushfire in the coastal town of Tathra. Source: AAP
It's not yet known how many residents didn't receive an SMS warning but as Ms Lewis was speaking in the Bega evacuation centre another resident chimed in stating: "No one in my family got a text either."
Ms Lewis, who recently moved to the area, says it's well known the beachside town has limited mobile reception.
She says a new tower should be installed in case of future emergencies.
Some of the more than 70 houses and businesses destroyed by a bushfire in the coastal town of Tathra, Monday, March 19, 2018. Source: Getty
Premier Gladys Berejiklian insists authorities did all they could to alert residents.
Messages were delivered via mobiles and also landline phone calls.
By the time the emergency evacuation text message was sent on Sunday afternoon, the flames were already visible, said Bega deputy mayor Liz Seckold, who lives in Tathra.
"That was the very sad thing. Two mobile phone towers were out, we had no mobile phone coverage, and the electricity was out as well so we could not get any messages on our mobile phones," she told 2GB radio on Monday.
Cops drove past and yelled 'Evacuate!': Tathra residents had trouble receiving bushfire warnings. Source: AAP
"At first we thought the smoke had come from the Victorian fires so we weren't overly anxious,"
"But out on our back verandah, we saw the flames come up and thought 'my God it is much closer'."
Ms Seckold is among hundreds of evacuees hunkering down at Bega Showgrounds, while firefighters continue to battle the out-of-control blaze.
Currently, there are 19 fires burning across NSW with 12 uncontained.
Residents told they can check on homes as soon as it's safe
Distressed Tathra residents are being promised they will be allowed back to check on their homes in the fire-ravaged NSW coastal town as soon it's safe.
Authorities have cut off access to the township with roads damaged, no power or water supplies and fears of asbestos in the air.
Many locals who were evacuated to Bega don't know whether their homes are still standing. They've tried to tell from news footage or by asking neighbours who left after them.
Rural Fire Service commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons acknowledged the situation is stressful but insists authorities are working to make the area safe as quickly as possible.
Power and other utilities, including sewage and water supplies, needed to be restored and communications brought back online.
They are also mindful of the amount of potential asbestos floating around from burnt buildings and other structures.
"We are not trying to be insensitive or disrespectful to those who are already suffering so much, but their safety is at the forefront - and the safety of other people involved," Mr Fitzsimmons said.
'It was scary': Residents describe escapes
Tathra resident Robin Murray told SBS News she had little time to decide to leave before the fires hit.
"I left, my partner stayed, I think my house is ok, I still haven’t talked to him, but I think he’s OK," she said.
"[The was] a lot of smoke coming and you could look up and you could see the helicopters were dropping water a block away and at then the golf club you could see the flames coming and hear the explosions so – it's scary."
She said she barely had time to think about her choice to leave because "the fire just came on very quickly."
Tathra resident Robin Murray told SBS she made the difficult decision to separate with her partner. Source: SBS
"It was easy for me but I felt terrible because my partner wouldn’t come. But that’s his decision too and he’s OK, so he made the right one," she said.
"The minute there were embers curling up - I was out of there."
Another resident, Amanda Galvin Myers agreed that the fires came out of nowhere.
"You wake up in the morning, you are doing the washing, doing the cooking then the power goes out and the next thing I’m like ‘oh my god I think I've got to prepare to evacuate,’" she said.
She said some of her neighbours were slow to realise the danger.
Some of the more than 70 houses and businesses destroyed by a bushfire in the coastal town of Tathra, Monday, March 19, 2018. Source: Getty
"People around me were saying, no we’ve got time and I said, ‘no you know’ when things happen, they happen really quickly but it even really surprised me.
"When the whole place filled with smoke and the helicopter was above me and there was a glow behind me, that’s when I was like whatever state I’m in, go.
Another local, Steve Jory, saw a small blaze burning near Tathra on his way to work, but by the time he got home, it was a raging firestorm ready to claim his house.
Local resident Amanda Galvin Myers siad the fires came out of nowhere. Source: SBS
The furniture maker's property is one of the dozens destroyed by fire.
"The kids had gone to the house to pick up whatever sort of mementoes they could - they did a fantastic job - but by the time I got home I just had to tell the kids to leave and leave myself," he told AAP on Monday.
"We didn't have much time at all."
Mr Jory and his children, in their 20s, evacuated to the beach with dust masks to protect them from the smoke and sand being kicked up by the strong winds.
With phone lines down and power off, Mr Jory said the worst thing was being unable to contact his wife who was in Merimbula some 20 kilometres further south.
"We couldn't contact her for probably an hour or so, she was a mess," he said.
The family is now together in Bega waiting for the all-clear to return home and survey the damage.
David Porter said he fled his home before he received an evacuation text.
"It was just after lunch when I noticed the whole colour of the sunlight changing because of the sun shining through the smoke," he told 2GB.
"The Tathra SMS came through after we had already left, and quite frankly the smoke was so thick you couldn't even see to walk or drive by the time we got the SMS," he said.
Hundreds forced to flee
The fire, fanned by very strong winds and high temperatures in the state's east, burned through several kilometres of bushland and crossed a river before it reached the picturesque township.
Residents have been traumatised by the speed of the flames which took barely half an hour to cross the Bega River and hit the Tathra area.
Tathra Beach Motor Village said it had experienced "significant" damage and would be closed until further notice.
The blaze tore through its front office and reception area but management wasn't able to confirm what other parts had been affected.
"This is a very dire and devastating situation for all involved," a post on the park's Facebook page said.
Schools closed, residents assess the damage
Tathra Public School, Bega High School, Tanja Public School and Bournda Environmental Education Centre were all closed on Monday.
The Insurance Council of Australia has declared the fire "catastrophe", meaning claims by those affected by the blaze will be given priority.
Tathra is located on the far south coast of NSW. Source: Whereis.com
However, the ICA said it's too early to determine the extent of buildings lost or estimate the financial toll.
Temperatures were expected to reach 30C in the Bega region on Tuesday, with light easterly winds in the afternoon.
