Rain has started to fall in Bungendore, bringing with it the occasional lightning strike, according to a witness. 

“There are a lot of stock movers on the road. People are still trying to get their stock safe,” the witness said. 

Braidwood Road, Tarago Road and Goulburn Road between the Kings Highway and Lumney Road have been closed in both directions. 

The alternate route is on the Federal Highway but motorists are warned to add an additional one-hour travel time.

UPDATE 7PM:

The RFS has received unconfirmed reports that a house has been destroyed in the Taylors Creek Road fire.

Lake George based incident controller Tim Carroll could not say where this was and was awaiting further information.

It’s believed the home was in the Hazeldell Road area.

But he confirmed sheep had also been burnt on a property off Goulburn Road, past Tarago. Mr Carroll was unable to say how many.

“A vet from the Department of Primary Industries is on his way from Goulburn to assess them,” he said.

Two farm sheds and two vehicles have also been destroyed.

Mr Carroll told The Post the fire was spreading quickly with three-metre high flames fanned by strong winds.

“We are expecting the temperature and wind to moderate after 7pm and firefighters will take advantage of that to further attack the fire,” he said.

Some 12 aircraft are reported to be tackling the blaze and will continue until last light. One will operate overnight. 

The Goulburn Road and the Tarago to Bungendore remain closed. Blockades are in place and only people with photo identity and proof of local residency are being allowed through.

A total fire ban has been declared for Wednesday for the Southern Ranges.

Mr Carroll said people should remain alert and monitor the RFS and media for updates.

UPDATE 6PM: 

THE Taylors Creek Road fire has now burnt out 2448 hectares.

The RFS has advised on its website that it is burning in the vicinity of Taylors Creek Road and has crossed Bungendore Road and Mount Fairy Roads.

The firefront has also crossed Goulburn Road and is moving in an easterly direction towards Boro/Lower Boro Road.

Firefighters are on scene protecting a number of isolated rural properties in the area. Waterbombing aircraft including the large and very large air tankers "Thor" and "Southern Belle" are assisting firefighters on the ground.

An emergency alert has been issued for homes in the vicinity of Mount Fairy Road.

Tarago Road and the Goulburn Roads have been closed to traffic.

The Goulburn Queanbeyan Railway has been closed.

The RFS has advised residents in the vicinity of Mount Fairy Road, Hazeldell Road, Barnet Drive and Goulburn Road to shelter in place as the fire front arrives.

Residents in the vicinity of Boro Road should implement their Bush Fire Survival Plans NOW, seek shelter as the fire front approaches and follow the direction of firefighters.

Meantime, police will investigate the circumstances around a bush fire at nearby Wamboin on Tuesday.

Just after midday, emergency services were called to a fire that was well alight on Norton Road. It burnt out 5ha.

​Officers from Monaro Local Area Command have commenced investigations.

Police would like to speak to a man who may be able to assist. He was last seen heading west on Ellendon Street, he was wearing black clothing, a white helmet and riding a yellow road bike.

Anyone with information or anyone who saw anything suspicious in the area is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.

UPDATE 4:30PM

The Rural Fire Service reports that two farm sheds in the Mount Fairy area have been destroyed in the Taylors Creek Road area.

RFS incident controller Tim Carroll said the blaze had burnt about 2000 hectares and was still out of control.

An Ericson sky crane from Sydney has been deployed. Some 40 brigades, including 100 firefighters are on the ground.

Northwesterly winds are pushing the fire east towards the Goulburn Road. Mr carroll said it was close to that road but had not yet crossed it.

“We’re fighting a fire under extreme conditions and all our energies are focused on property protection,” he said.

Mr Carroll hoped easing conditions into the evening would assist efforts.

Taylors Creek road resident Joan Limon was relieved that her home was safe for now, given the wind change. 

‘But I heard that a brigade was going to a house up the road, which is a worry,” she said.

‘It’s a very large, fast moving fire and it was very scary,” she said.

UPDATE TUESDAY 2:30PM

The Taylors Creek Road fire has torn through 1969 hectares and has been upgraded to emergency warning status.

Property and stock are under threat in the Mount Fairy and Boro areas.

The blaze is burning east and has crossed the Goulburn Road, west of Hazelldell Road, past Tarago.

The Braidwood Rd/Goulburn Rd has been closed between Tarago and Manar. The Tarago Rd/Bungendore Rd has also been closed between Tarago and Bungendore.

RFS incident controller for the Lake George zone Tim Carroll said property owners in the area should take shelter as the fire approached, activate survival plans and monitor the RFS website.

“The fire is moving very fast and and we have not been able to get trucks to every property in front of it,” he said.

More aerial resources are on their way, including a large air tanker and air crane from Sydney. Thirty brigades, comprising 100 firefighters are on the ground.

Winds are gusting up to 40km/h.

“It is burning through grassland but the challenges today are the high temperatures and good grass growth, making for a fast moving fire.  

UPDATE TUESDAY 1PM:

Three helicopters and two fixed-wing planes have been tasked to the Taylors Creek fire, which has burnt out more than 100 hectares.

Extra brigades and a strike team from Goulburn are assisting the effort. 

ACT NSW fire liaison officer Greg Potts said the 100-hectare Currandooley fire had now crossed the Tarago Road, south-west of the township. 

The road has been closed in the northern section, some 500 metres from the Taylors Road intersection.

Meantime, a fire nearby at Wamboin, which burnt through 5ha and threatened properties, has been controlled. Resources have been diverted to the Tarago fire.

The alert for the fire at Tarago is watch and act. Residents have been told to enact their Bushfire Survival Plans.

The Neighbourhood Safer Place located at Wamboin Community Hall, Bingley Road, Wamboin is now open. 

The Rural Fire Service is reminding residents that a Neighbourhood Safer Place is a place of last resort and may not have hemergency services at the location.

UPDATE TUESDAY 12:30PM

The Rural Fire Service is determining if any properties are under threat near the Taylors Creek Road fire.

The blaze is burning towards Taylors Creek Road.

The service’s operations officer Daniel Osborne has nevertheless urged residents to remain vigilant, monitor the threat and activate fire action plans.

More resources are enroute to the blaze on the Currandooley property, 10km northeast of Bungendore. Mr Osborne said this included extra brigades and an aircraft.

Infigen Energy’s general manager of strategy and corporate affairs, Richie Farrell confirmed the fire was not close to the Capital Wind farm’s turbines.

“We have a fire action plan in place and are liaising with the RFS. We will escalate that plan if necessary,” he said. 

UPDATE: TUESDAY 11:30AM

A fire southeast of Goulburn has burnt through 100 hectares near the Capital Wind Farm.

The Rural Fire Service has declared the blaze on the Currandooley property on Taylors Creek Road, near Tarago as ‘out of control.’

RFS operations officer Daniel Osborne said the fire broke out shortly after 10am. No properties are under threat and it’s understood the wind farm turbines are unaffected at this stage.

Seven brigades, comprising 26 personnel from the Southern Tablelands and Lake George are fighting the outbreak.

“The northern flank of the fire is continuing to burn but crews are focusing on that and are confident they’ll gain the upper hand shortly,” Mr Osborne said.

Wind is blowing at 15km/h in the area, below a forecast 40km/h. Authorities declared a very high fire risk today.

Meantime, Taylors Creek Road resident Joan Limon said her husband Max was out fighting the outbreak with the local brigade. She could see smoke in the distance.

“The wind is picking up and that’s a worry. It’s already 29.5 degrees,” she said.

Mrs Limon said she wasn’t feeling very safe. 

“I never feel safe until Max is home,” she said.

The blaze is the largest in the area this season. A fire burnt 20 hectares at neighbouring property, ‘Pylara, two weeks ago but three brigades responded quickly. It started after a crow landed on the crossbow of an electricity line, causing it to short out.