Saturday, December 28: Low-lying areas of Batemans Bay and Moruya are suffering smoke pollution from the Deua fire, 10km north west of Moruya. The fire is more than 100 hectares in size and is out of control, but remains as 'Advice' status.
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It is in the Wandera State Forest and Monga National Park in the Deua River Valley. Crews are using heavy plant machinery to strengthen containment lines and waterbombers are in action.
Those in the Deua River Valley, Mogendoura and Buckenbowra should monitor changing conditions. Follow your bush fire survival plan, and know what you will do if the fire threatens.
Friday, December 27: Police have been knocking on doors in rural areas north of Moruya to warn of the fire in the Deua Valley.
The fire remains at Advice but dangerous conditions are forecast for the weekend. Anyone nearby is asked to monitor conditions and act accordingly.
Senior Constables Jo Flood and Matt Berry were on Pollwombra Road, near the industrial area, on Friday warning residents and asking them what their plans were.
They visited Shay Nowicki and Joel Spooner and their terrier Fallen in the afternoon, advising them to keep up to date with the Rural Fire Service site, Fires Near Me.
Police ask residents to fill in a form showing how many people and animals are present and whether the household will evacuate or stay to fight.
The Deua fire began on Thursday afternoon and is under investigation. It is burning about 10km north-west of Moruya.
Thursday, December 26: A new bushfire in Deua River Valley is stretching resources on the South Coast.
The blaze - burning at Araluen Road, west of Mogo and 10km north-west of Moruya - was downgraded from Watch and Act to Advice on Thursday afternoon but remains out of control.
Those in the area of Deua River Valley or Mogendoura and Buckenbowra were asked to monitor any changing conditions, follow their bush fire survival plans and know what to do if the fire threatened.
NSW RFS Inspector Ben Shepherd said the fire was burning in remote terrain.
"There are one or two isolated properties that crews are with to protect if necessary and they're working with some aircraft," Mr Shepherd said yesterday.
"At this stage it's likely to keep burning in a northerly direction in the Monga National Park, so it's going to continue to grow."
The blaze put further pressure on firefighters who have been protecting the South Coast since November 26, when the Currowan blaze broke out.
Resources are increasingly stretched and police are investigating a number of suspicious fires, including the original Tianjara ignition and the Comberton blaze, south of Nowra.
"This is an additional fire that we're going to have to work to contain over the coming days," Mr Shepher said of the Deua blaze. "This is another fire of concern for the South Coast."
The fire was burning in the Wandera State Forest and Monga National Park in the Deua River Valley.
Due to the steep terrain the fire is hard to access for ground crews. Firefighters are being supported by aircraft.