Phone lines have been temporarily restored to Moruya, as has electricity.
Bazza has evacuated from his farm, and is now staying with relatives in the centre of Moruya. He brought his clothes, and his extensive WGF collection. He phoned me and asked me to pass on the message to the forum.
No internet or mobile phone services though for the foreseeable future. Probably months.
Trunk road north from Moruya to Batemans Bay cut, and Batemans Bay itself is now completely isolated.
The only way in or out at the moment is to go south 50 km in the direction of Bega, then take side roads to the Snowy Mountain Highway, west a hundred km to Cooma, then north a hundred km to Canberra.
Half a dozen of the largest, brand spanking new appliances from around the state have arrived in Moruya, along with their crews and full equipment. Moruya is an evacuation centre, a refuge, and is being very heavily defended with every resource available.
Saturday, things will be grim. Hot, dry winds, 45C temperatures, 40-50 kmh gusting to 70. Firestorm weather. Not suitable for firefighting helicopters, and risky for fixed wing.
There is a "Ils ne passeront pas!" attitude in the firefighting centre, with both Rural Fire Service units providing the first line - and behind the lines - defence, with the professional Fire and Rescue service, now beefed up with significant reinforcements and top of the line equipment, providing the main line of resistance at the bush/urban interface.
"Moruya shall not burn!"
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