Dozens of buildings, including several properties, have been destroyed by bushfire in Nerriga, as fire crews brace for more challenging conditions this week.
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The Currowan bushfire, which merged with the Tianjara blaze on Sunday to create an 80 kilometre firefront, has ravaged areas to the south of Nowra.
The NSW Rural Fire Service says a number of properties have been destroyed near Nerriga and Sassafras.
The full extent of the number of homes that have been destroyed may not be known for some time, crews say.
Building teams have been deployed to the area to assess the damage during calmer conditions.
Residents from Nerriga were forced to evacuate due to the fire on Saturday, sheltering in the town's pub.
Firefighters worked throughout the day hosing the building with water in an effort to protect the sanctuary from ember attacks.
Some residents are also visiting their properties to start checking on the damage.
Richard Moxham from Sassafras Nuts said his farm had been affected quite badly and that he, and partner Alison Saunders, have most likely lost their walnut crop.
"Sassafras was hit really bad by the fires. In our personal circumstances, we have been luckier than most, but that means our house and main outbuildings, such as the packing shed are still ok," Mr Moxham said.
Backburning efforts are under way across the fireground, which has destroyed more than 228,000 hectares.
The fire remains at an advice warning level.
The fire has grown so large that crews from the Lake George Rural Fire Service district have been called in to fight the blaze on the western side.
Lake George Rural Fire Service spokesman Richard Thorek said areas south of Nerriga were the hardest hit.
"There are dozens of structures that have been damaged, and some of those are homes and many of them are sheds and caravans," Mr Thorek said.
"There's also been widespread impact to farmland and property down Charleys Forest Road."
The fire is burning to the north in inaccessible bushland, making it difficult for firefighters.
A Rural Fire Service spokesman said the fire have travelled a large distance to the north.
"It is in behind Bendura Dam and Ettrema.
"The size of the fire has increased dramatically. We are starting to look at containment lines at Tolwong Road and the Shoalhaven River and there is potentially a risk to dwellings to the east of that area, at Burier, Budgong and potentially into the Kangaroo Valley. "
He did not also rule out the fire travelling to Bungonia.
"That is a while out, but if you looked at how that fire progressed on Saturday, that is a possibility," he said.
"There is still active fire in Nerriga area but crews are aggressively mopping that up."
Active fires are still burning between Nerriga Road and Oallen Rad, which may come through in multiple directions in coming days.
"It's been burning through some horrid country, and we're strengthening containment around homes and using main roads," Mr Thorek said.
Fire crews are bracing for worsening conditions later in the week, as the temperature is set to nudge into the 40s.
Containment lines are being strengthened by firefighters around towns that may come under attack from the blaze in days ahead.
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The weekend is expected to see the worst conditions.
"Saturday will be the worst, and the opportunity to contain the fire is now," Mr Thorek said.
The fire continues to move and things are dry out there and even if there is a bit of wind it will go through the dry bushland.
"We're doing anything we can do now to reduce the intensity to help us over the weekend."
The fire continues to burn between Sussex Inlet, Tianjara, Burrill Lake in the north, Braidwood in the west and Batemans Bay in the south.
A second smaller fire, known as the Forest Road fire has also broken out in Comberton, south of Nowra.
That fire has burnt more than 2000 hectares and is at advice level.
The Forest Road fire has crossed to the western side of the Princes Highway between Btu Road and Parma Road.
While conditions have eased, the fire continues to burn around Forest Road.
With David Cole