Six firefighters taken to hospital after their tanker rolled at Mogo were hoping to head home on the afternoon of January 24.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
They were taken to Batemans Bay Hospital late on Thursday, January 23, after a single-vehicle crash at Tomakin Road.
Rural Fire Service Inspector Kelwyn White said the strike team had come from Region East, which covers the greater Sydney Basin.
"Two were released last night," Inspector White said on Friday, January 24.
"The remaining four were kept for observation."
She said another two firefighters were released from hospital at 11.30am on Friday, but two were held for further tests and observations.
She hoped all six would be on a bus bound for home by mid-afternoon.
Critical support services would debrief them on arrival.
READ MORE: Volunteers hurt battling Clyde Mountain fire
In an unrelated incident, Inspector White said two firefighters were taken to hospital with smoke inhalation, but both had been released.
On Thursday, firefighters faced challenging conditions from north-west of Moruya to Bermagui as fires broke hard-fought containment lines.
"It was a very challenging day with bad weather," Inspector White said.
"We had temperatures in the high 30s to low 40s, low humidity and strong winds gusting up to 100km/h.
"There was fire running on several fronts and spotting kilometers ahead of the main fire front.
"Our firefighters worked tirelessly to do the best they could to stop the spread of fire and protect life and property."
Recent rain was not enough.
"We had control operations ongoing to maintain the fire in its existing footprint, but as Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons and the RFS have stated since the beginning, only season-ending rain will extinguish these fires," Inspector White said.
"Yesterday was a stark reminder the season is far from over.
"Despite the efforts of all agencies, the deteriorating weather pushed fire into our communities again.
"From today onward, we have mild conditions and we will focus on consolidating containment lines and securing edges. We still have a long way to go until the end of the fire season."
Assessment teams began counting the toll of homes, building and livestock on Friday.
