Residents have begun to return home after a fierce and fast-moving blaze tore through Carwoola on Friday, fuelled by hot and windy conditions.
Residents on Widgiewa Road and Whiskers Creek Road were allowed to return home this morning, many finding piles of rubble where their homes once stood.
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Pat Brennan told 9NEWS his home only survived because firefighters were able to use 50,000 litres of water from his pool.
"If this hadn't have been here they wouldn't have had the water to help us and we would have had to leave," he said.
The Lindley family were not so lucky.
"We went straight down the driveway, drove 200 metres propped and watched the place burn. There was not much else you could do," Kevin Lindley said.
"It was an inferno. It was just so intense."
NSW RFS spokesman Rob Rogers said considering the speed of the fire the community was lucky there wasn't loss of life.
The blaze, one of 80 burning across the state, was so treacherous firefighters in some areas had to leave for their own safety.
After burning through 3500ha since Friday, it has now been downgraded from emergency to advice level. It is now contained and there is no immediate threat to homes in the area.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull commended the firefighters for their “selfless service”.
"I just want to thank and commend the firefighters there and all the first responders who are again showing that selfless service to the community battling the worst that nature can fling at us," he said.
A 24-hour evacuation centre has been established at The 'Q', Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre, 253 Crawford Street, Queanbeyan.
Anyone who sees an unattended fire is urged to contact triple zero (000).