A fast-moving bushfire fanned by hot, strong winds has ravaged the seaside town of Tathra, on the NSW far south coast. About 70 homes and businesses have been destroyed.
How the disaster unfolded:
Saturday
- NSW residents warned of dangerous fire conditions for Sunday
Sunday
- Total fire bans enforced for more than half the state
- Five bushfires begin burning near Bega, 20km northwest of Tathra
- Fires spread quickly in extremely hot, windy conditions
- One fire begins at Tarraganda, east of Bega, about midday and is soon out of control
- Driven by 50 to 60km/h winds, gusting to 90km/h, it burns towards the coast
- Tracts of bushland are consumed and the fire front reaches the Bega River
- In 30 minutes it jumps the river in two places; within a couple of hours of starting the fire was consuming houses
- Tathra residents are warned it's too late to leave at 5pm as flames take hold on Tathra's northern outskirts
- Tathra was the "epicentre" of the fire, the Rural Fire Service said
- Flying embers set properties alight well ahead of the fire front
- Properties just metres from the shoreline are destroyed
- Spot blazes take hold in the sand dunes and fire ravages the Tathra headland
- A southerly change arrives in the evening and conditions ease
Monday
- Early assessment by the Rural Fire Services reveals up to 70 homes and other buildings have been destroyed; figure could rise
- No-one has been reported missing so far; four people treated for smoke inhalation; one woman treated for minor burns, singed hair.
- Many residents remain at an evacuation centre at nearby Bega unable to safely return home
- Fire remains out of control and is burning between Tarraganda and Tathra; one kilometre of fire front still active; crews patrolling Tathra for spotfires
- Flames still affecting one of the main routes into Tathra; Power restored to parts of town but mobile phone coverage is poor due to phone towers collapsing
- Fire has so far burnt more than 1000 hectares; expected to pick up again on Monday afternoon
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