"Like a war zone" - that's how Far South Coast firefighters have described North Coast bushfires.
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Narooma Rural Fire Service crew member Jesse McMillan said the sky was red and the ground black, south-west of Grafton.
He said the Eurobodalla and Bega strike team was deployed to protect properties and patrol areas near Dalmorton and Nymboida from November 5-9.
He said the sky was full of white smoke the first day, was dark grey the second, and by the third, was glowing red.
"The centre of town was like a war zone," Mr McMillan said.
There were "red lines heading towards you", "flames five-metres high" and "big embers".
We thought we weren't going to get out.
- Jesse McMillan
At times, he wasn't even sure they could leave.
"The way it was expecting to go, we thought we weren't going to get out," he said.
"We didn't fear for our lives. The roads were just getting blocked and covered with fire.
"Knowing I had the guys around me, I felt safe. I knew we were going to be okay."
Batemans Bay RFS captain Ian Aitken said the firefighters were absolutely fantastic.
He said half the residents were staying and half were leaving.
"If you're going to stay, you've got to see what's around the house and give yourself a fighting chance," he said.
"We ask: 'Have you got water? How big's the hose? What sort of stuff have you got around house?'"
On the final day, they finished at 1am, and caught the bus at 5am to go home.
"Sleep wasn't really an option," he said.
For him, the strike team was "a little family for a few days" and they all trusted each other.
"I was happy to work alongside all of them," he said.
"I'd happily put my hand up again."
Mr McMillan said he joined Narooma RFS in November 2018 after the Tathra fires.
His strike team leader, Batemans Bay RFS captain Ian Aitken said the firefighters were "absolutely fantastic".
He said conditions became "completely erratic" and by Friday, they faced a fire storm.
Mr Aitken joined the Moruya crew about 30 years ago and said last week's fire was "probably one of the worst fires I've been involved in since I've been in the brigade".
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