Malua Bay Rural Fire Service (RFS) Captain Ian Barnes has released the field notes of David Beare and Peter Reddel's epic fight.

The pair was alerted early on December 31 when Mogo residents were urged to head for the coast as the Clyde Mountain Fire bore down.

When their day finally ended at about 10.15pm they had saved at least six buildings, including a pre-school.

The pair left Malua Bay station at about 6.30am in a Cat 7 truck for Dog Trap Road, in the Mogo State Forest, where they met other RFS and Fire and Rescue trucks.

"In thick smoke coming from the west, in convoy they proceeded south on Dog Trap Road encountering spot fires being attacked by Cat 9s," Captain Barnes said.

"They emerged in unburnt country around Mogo Trig Road and continued to the Princes Highway where, at the southern edge of the main smoke cloud, wind conditions were calmer."

It was not to last. Communications were poor as the Wandera communications tower had been burned and firefighters were trying to establish what direction the fire was coming from.

"Whilst trying to determine the direction of fire threatening Mogo, fire trucks assisted Mogo residents to evacuate," Captain Barnes said.

Then, at about 7.30am, firefighters patrolling the powerline west of Mogo saw fire north-west of the village.

Mr Beare and Mr Reddel drove their truck to help two Cat 1 crews defend northern Mogo.

"The fire jumped the Princes Highway there and to the north and northwest," Captain Barnes said.

It was always going to be a big ask in shocking wind - then equipment malfunctioned.

"The wind picked up and fire intensity increased; the Cat 7 pump began to misbehave," Captain Barnes said.

Yet the firefighters carried on.

"Many spot fires were encountered in the vicinity of the highway and many tankfuls of water were used to extinguish," Captain Barnes said.

As the fire worsened, a group captain first advised trucks to stay on the highway, then to defend the school and the fire shed, at the southern end of the village.

"Mogo's main street, the Princes Highway, was littered with freshly laid hoses connected to standpipes previously erected by Fire and Rescue," Captain Barnes said.

"These were later to prove crucial to Dave and Peter's structure firefight in Mogo.

"Communications between trucks (all RFS at this stage) were mainly on UHF 20.

"Dave and Peter mostly remained in the main street, occasionally visiting other areas."

Over the radio, they heard 20 people had rushed to seek shelter at the Mogo station, and were being protected by two Mogo fire trucks.

The northern end of town was under attack and some residents remained.

"Now alone, Dave and Peter resumed defence at the northern end of the main street as more buildings came under serious threat from ember attack," Captain Barnes said.

"They encountered residents trying to save their homes.

"Wind conditions were extreme, conditions were dark and the area was in thick smoke.

"They lost communications with other units and realized they were indeed alone."

For four hours, the pair worked solo on the main street before seeing other trucks to their east, Captain Barnes said.

"The wind increased and the loud noise of surrounding fire became punctuated by explosions (mainly gas bottles)," he said.

"Buildings were catching fire; about six were saved.

"Dave and Peter gradually retreated southward down the street, trying to save buildings as they went.

"The pre-laid hoses drawing water from the mains were used to good effect.

"Nevertheless, a number of closely located timber-clad buildings on the western side of the main street were very difficult to defend.

"Despite the abundance of water, the ember attack from strong northerly winds was intense and the timber boards readily ignited. When the first of these was lost, the others quickly fell.

"Once the four timber buildings went, the spread of structure fire on the western side slowed considerably due to a moist creek area at the rear and one or two vacant areas between the next buildings.

"On the eastern side, after "the church" (Mogo Pottery) was lost at 12.15 hours, Dave and Peter saved 'the lolly shop'."

However, its neighbour, the Local Aboriginal Land Council building, could not be saved after "massive ember attack under the eaves". The pair turned their hoses on the Aboriginal pre-school next door and neighbouring shops.

They used Annett Lane as an east/west defense line "to save the town".

Over two hours, they wet down buildings on both sides of the lane.

"Buildings on the northern side were difficult because they could not accurately direct the water jet against the strong wind," Captain Barnes said.

"Nevertheless, the kindergarten was saved."

Brief encounters with Fire and Rescue colleagues told them they were not fighting completely alone, but they still had no communications when the southerly front came through at about 1.30pm.

"They then diverted their attention to the various village areas in the south but the cooler air significantly dampened the ferocity of the fire and control became much easier," Captain Barnes said.

By 4pm, more than nine hours after leaving Malua Bay, conditions had eased.

"They drove north up the Princes Highway to Batemans Bay through tree debris to make contact with other units," Captain Barnes said.

"At the Batemans Bay fire station, looking to be retasked, they were advised to return to Mogo and patrol.

"For the next six hours they attended to various residual fires around Mogo village.

"In the calmer conditions it was eerily deserted and quiet, but they assisted some young people in Burkes Lane (one house lost, one saved) and extinguished a fire threatening a stack of 20 hay bales adjacent to a house.

"Extremely fatigued and unable to contact other units or Fire Control, Dave and Peter decided to call it quits.

"En route to Malua Bay station about 2200, they encountered a Group Officer who advised them to continue home."

They signed off at Malua Bay at 10.15pm - but no-one could sign off from the summer ahead.