00:00 The ferocity and speed of the fire at Darreil was immediately apparent to firefighters.
00:07 It was moving so fast the fire went from spot fires in the ground to crowning in the treetops within minutes.
00:15 As teams fought it from above and below, residents of the small town fled.
00:22 We just thought there was no defending where we are and we had to go.
00:26 When Damien Maloney returned after midnight, he couldn't believe his eyes.
00:31 The fire has literally skipped our houses. It is something else.
00:36 This scrubby bushland around Darreil has a terrible reputation among firefighters.
00:42 So there was a lot of concern when this blaze took off last night.
00:47 60 tankers and a dozen aircraft were quickly deployed and crews were able to bring it under control within hours.
00:54 If you could hug every single one of them without making anyone uncomfortable, you probably would.
00:59 Authorities say the actions of firefighters, including trucks from the NSW Fire Service, saved 117 homes from being burnt.
01:09 So what caused the tears? Well the ladies came up and said, "You saved my mum's house."
01:13 Yeah. That'll do.
01:17 Today, crews were out mopping up and marking dangerous trees.
01:22 The cause of the fire is still being investigated, but there's speculation it could have been a faulty electric fence.
01:29 The weather that whipped up the blaze here also kept crews busy at the existing Bayon Deen Fire Ground near Beaufort.
01:36 Half a dozen small fires flared up as the winds peaked, but all were quickly extinguished with the help of aerial bombers.
01:44 They do a good job. They do the work of probably getting half a dozen trucks in one hit.
01:48 It's good. It helps us get right on top of it from the word go.
01:52 Allowing a sense of calm to return to the streets of Beaufort for the first time in days.
01:56 [BLANK_AUDIO]
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