But perhaps more telling is that an estimated 398 homes have been saved from Sunday evening’s bushfire.

The efforts of volunteer firefighters and other emergency responders is to be applauded as Sunday’s conditions were horrific. Official readings say Tathra reached 38.6C with wind gusts of up to 72kmh out of the north-west.

Bega MP Andrew Constance said the damage was “heartbreaking”.

“We are not out of this emergency yet,” he said, after working through the night with residents.

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RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said the hundreds of residents who have sheltered at an evacuation centre at the Bega Showground would not be allowed back in as long as serious risks remained.

“We are particularly mindful of the amount of asbestos floating around,” he said.

“Crews did a preliminary assessment last night, driving streets and doing visual assessment in the dark as limited as that was, but teams are out now with the benefit of daylight doing a much more forensic audit, street by street, property by property to take stock of the level of damage.” 

Also in town to assess the situation were Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Eden-Monaro MP Mike Kelly.