South Coast bushfire remains out of control, homes and property losses expected

Fortunately, the Rural Fire Service has yet to report any injuries or missing people, and as of 12.30pm Wednesday it has been downgraded to Advice level.

However, it remained out of control with hundreds of firefighters working to contain it..

On Tuesday, October 3, the Coolagolite Road fire quickly swept towards Bermagui and localities to the south including Cuttagee, Barraga Bay, Murrah and Bunga.

Although conditions eased overnight Tuesday following a southerly change, at the time of writing the fire had burnt through 5200 hectares and remained classed as out of control.

Firefighters from right across the region continued to work to contain the fire throughout Wednesday, assisted by several water-bombing aircraft.

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As of Wednesday lunchtime, with patchy rain also recorded on the fireground, the fire had been downgraded to Advice warning level.

"Our building impact assessment team still needs to get access to the fire ground. They'll begin that process this today," a NSW Rural Fire Service spokeswoman said Wednesday morning.

"The good thing is there's been no reports of missing people or serious injuries."

At this stage, the RFS was unable to provide information on whether the properties lost were homes or businesses.

Roadblocks remain in place around the bushfire area including from Bermagui to Goalen Head, south of Wapengo. At least seven minor roads off the Cobargo-Bermagui Road are closed due to the fire.

Bega Valley Shire Council has asked motorists not to travel in the area and anyone in the impacted area to stay put, although for residents who evacuated, it was still not safe to return.

"Due to current and forecast weather conditions, there is an increased risk of falling trees and pockets of active fire," council said.

There have been reports of property loss and assessment teams will be working over the coming days, an RFS spokeswoman said.

There were currently 130 firefighters with 40 vehicles on the fireground

Emergency management was being handled from Bega.

Well-known Bermagui commercial fisherman and blogger Jason Moyce, was taking the situation in his stride.

"We can clearly see the fire from here," he said from his Beauty Point home on Tuesday night.

"We weren't gonna go until the last minute anyway, but we weren't told to evacuate, so we're still staying."

Having endured the 2020 fires on the South Coast, and spent two nights on a boat sheltering in the harbour, he said it wasn't "his first rodeo".

"A lot of people have left, but then... there are a lot of old people where I live."

Mr Moyce had a mid-afternoon swim Tuesday before he headed home and noticed the power was out.

"We came home and the power wasn't on and then, I still see a little bit of brown smoke ... and put the drone up and could see the fire starting."

By 7pm he said the fire pushed down the south-west edge of Bermagui, hitting the shoreline near Cuttagee and the Murrah area.

"The strong north-west winds have stopped and it's now a light southerly - hopefully it doesn't get too strong.

"The town of Bermagui remains untouched so far.

"There's lots of planes, helicopters and fire crews from far and wide are into the fight."

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