HOW THE TATHRA INFERNO 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 is consuming houses

■ Tathra residents are warned it’s too late to leave at 5pm as flames take hold on Tathra’s northern outskirts

■ Flying embers set properties alight well ahead of the fire front

■ Properties metres from the shoreline are destroyed. Spot blazes take hold in the sand dunes and fire ravages 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

■ Four people treated for smoke inhalation; one woman treated for minor burns

■ Fire remains out of control and is burning between Tarraganda and Tathra. 1km of fire front still active

■ 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