The fire-ravaged south-coast town of Tathra will be declared a disaster zone, as residents remain in an evacuation area.

Hundreds of people are waiting for more information at the Bega Showground, unsure whether they’ll have a home to return to.

NSW Rural Fire Service has confirmed 69 homes have been destroyed..

Two firefighters have been treated for heat stress and a woman in her 40’s has been hospitalised for minor burns.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian tells Ben Fordham the community is rallying to support those in need.

“Today is all about the waiting.

“Some don’t know what the status of their homes are. We’re just lucky no one’s lost their lives.”

Yesterday, as the fire waged war on the small town, firefighters went from door-to-door to evacuate residents as dodgy phone coverage failed to distribute crucial evacuation notices.

Owner of Tathra Beach House, Rob White, tells Ben Fordham he could hear firefighters telling residents to leave.

“I could hear the fireys driving around the back streets.

“There was an issue. We lost our landlines when we lost our electricity. We don’t have very good mobile phone coverage in town so we didn’t really have any communication.”

Rob tells Ben he hasn’t heard about the state of his property.

“I don’t know anything [but] once we get through this, come back to Tathra.”

Click PLAY below to hear from Premier Berejiklian

Click PLAY below to hear Rob’s frightening account

Image: @cbowles14 Instagram