Rita Roberts has shared a photo belonging to her late husband Richard Roberts which was take at Ravenswood, south of Bega, during the fires and shows huge clouds of smoke across the horizon.

The fires would claim five lives in Upper Brogo, Bega and Quaama, spread from Tilba to south of Eden, and at the time The Sunday Herald reported 85 homes had been destroyed and over 800,000ha of pasture had been burnt in Bega's district alone.

READ MORE: The fires of '52: When Bega Valley burned

Ms Roberts said her husband was about 20, had only arrived from England the year before, and was share farming.

"That was his first introduction to fires. It was a wake up call I guess," she said.

"I think the 1952 fires were a bit of a pup compared to what we have just gone through."

She said when Mr Roberts bought a farm in the 1960s he joined the Rural Fire Service and remained a member for 50 years, so thought his experience of the fires a decade earlier did have a lasting impact on him.

"It was a horrible day that day," Ms Roberts said.

"I often think what a rude awakening for a young lad who had just come out from England!"

The farm he was working on was damaged, with fences lost.

READ ALSO: Bemboka resident survives both Werri Berri and 1952 blazes

Born and bred in the Bega Valley, Ms Roberts has her own memories of the terrible fire from 1952 as she was living in Greendale at the time.

"We were lucky our home farm wasn't burned," she said.

"But over the other side of the river, it was horrific.

"I think everyone is saying the same thing about the roar of the fire."

Mr Roberts passed away last September aged 87.