It could be weeks until the Currowan and Tianjara fires are extinguished, weeks until the Kings Highway reopens, and the public should stay informed and organised.
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They were some important messages from Rural Fire Service at a Batemans Bay community meeting on Sunday afternoon, December 22.
RFS deputy incident controller Angus Barnes said rugged and remote terrain made the fires particularly difficult to contain.
"We're looking at weeks of firefighting ... it's currently in a very remote area," Insp Barnes said.
"We can't get people in close to it to try and address it without endangering their safety."
Ultimately, firefighting operations were weather-dependent.
"In all honesty, the only thing that's going to put this fire out is rain," Insp Barnes said.
He said the fire was not threatening Batemans Bay: "Rest-assured at the moment it's a long way from the Bay."
Watch a recording of the meeting here:
Eurobodalla Shire Council standing general manager and local emergency management officer Warren Sharpe said the efforts to contain the fire north of Durras, north of Benandarah, north of Nelligen and north of the Kings Highway was extraordinary.
"If that work had not have been done, it would have been ... at Long Beach by now," Mr Sharpe said.
He said crews were faced with a big job ahead.
"Now it's crossed the Kings Highway, it's burnt back from where it crossed, above Government Bend back to Cabbage Tree Creek, cross all upon the Kings Highway," he said.
Listen to RFS - not social media - was a message from Bega MP Andrew Constance.
He said crews were experienced, and their communication "must" be followed by the community.
"Don't rely on Facebook and any other social media for your information, rely on Rural Fire Service," Mr Constance, who is also Minister for Transport and Roads, said.
"We really just need people to follow their instructions, otherwise we're going to risk lives."
At the meeting, a member of the public asked when the Kings Highway would open.
"Will it be weeks, months - what?" the man asked. "Nothing's being said."
Mr Constance said it would probably be weeks.
"I can only be guided by Transport for NSW - and through Warren - as to what we're dealing with. It'd be nice to open it now, but the reality is it's too dangerous."
Eurobodalla Shire Council Mayor Liz Innes said there had been incredible examples of the community helping out, and she asked residents to check in on neighbours.
She said it was best for residents and visitors to support shire businesses throughout the holiday season.
"As a community, we will get through this," she said.
In tears, Cr Innes asked everyone to put their arms around volunteers who were putting their lives on the line to keep everyone safe.
Question and answer
In question and answer time, a community member asked whether the Princes Highway open meant there was no danger of falling trees.
RFS member Kelwyn White said: "We need to continue to monitor the situation. We obviously wouldn't repoen a road if it was considered too dangerous for people to travel on, but there are still active fires in the area where the road was closed. It was reassessed before it was opened, and that will continue to happen."
Another community member asked whether there was a chance the fire might move towards Runnyford and Mogo.
In response, RFS Far South Coast Manager John Cullen said to stay informed and be organised.
"We have analysts working on all those things indicating where a fire will spread to on a certain day under certain conditions," he said.
"That's why we're saying to people: Please stay informed, please be organised. Know what you're going to do, what you're going to take, where you're going to go."
He said to be prepared for the worst-case scenario.
"We know the fuel is super dry, we know we're dealing with steep, rugged country ... but it's all in the lap of the gods," he said.
"If we get one of those really bad days, the potential is there. Thus, please be prepared. We might only get a couple of days' notice of this happening.
"Will it come into these coastal towns? That's something we won't know."
Bay Post reporter Andrea Cantle asked for recommendations for residents' families and friends who were planning on travelling to the area.
Ms White said it was a "personal choice" as to whether they made the trip.
She said the Kings Highway was closed and the Princes Highway had closed and reopened a number of times.
"It's Christmas. People want to spend time with their family and friends. It would be heartless to say 'don't come', but they need to be aware of what they're coming in to: We have a really large active fireground," she said.
"So, if people are coming into this area, we will have deteriorating weather conditions again. We may see more impact into our community.
"I definitely can say we will see more smoke again, which has been unpleasant.
"It's a personal choice. Monitor the conditions, make sound decisions, check the information before you decide to travel."
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