The Cobbler Road fire had destroyed more than 14000 hectares at the time of writing. From Tuesday afternoon, this is what happened:
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Tuesday 2pm: Smoke haze envelops Yass and surrounding areas as fire crews work to contain blaze between Gunning and Gundaroo.
4.12pm: Five hectares burnt in an out-of-control fire at Jugiong near the intersection of Hume Highway and Cobbler Road. Within the hour it is upgraded to an emergency with 450 hectares burnt.
4.23pm: Wind gusts up to 60km/h hamper efforts to extinguish fire at Gundaroo, and it breaks out again.
Evening: RFS describes conditions are the worst the control centre has seen.
7.08pm: Childowla and Talmo Road residents urged to leave immediately. Bogolara Road residents are advised to shelter in place as the fire impacts.
7.25pm: Gundaroo fire downgraded and under control, 81 hectares burnt.
8.42pm: Jugiong fire front is three kilometres long, travelling at about 15km/h and headed towards Bookham.
9.06pm: Reports of a home destroyed on Bogalara Road later turned out to be false. Fire burning quickly south of Bookham, closes Burrinjuck Road. People there and at Burrinjuck Dam advised to shelter in place, it is too late to leave. Fire moves through Childowla Road area.
10.30pm: Winds die down and fire threat eases. No further property losses. Fire passes through Talmo.
11.45pm: Fire jumps Black Range Road, heads east towards Yass. Unpredictable wind changes cause concern. About 8900 hectares burnt.
Wednesday 12.45am: Fire forks and crosses Hume Highway near Bowning. Concerns the fire may threaten Yass later this morning.
2.30am: RFS stresses Bowning and Yass are not under fire threat. Emergency warning is downgraded to Watch and Act. Burrinjuck Road and Black Range Road are closed. One lane of the Hume Highway closed.
3am: Firefighters work throughout the night to ensure the fire front does not reach heavily populated areas.
4.32am: Significant drop in temperature and changing wind direction helps fire fighters. For the first time all night, they are beginning to sound optimistic.
6.44am: The Cobbler Road fire remains out of control, damaging 17000 hectares.
10am: ?Premier Barry O'Farrell arrives in Yass to rendezvous with media and the NSW Fire Commissioner and Assistant Commissioner. Cobbler Road fire is the biggest in the state. He estimates stock losses of about 10,000, worth about $1 million.
11.15am: Still lots of fire activity in the Yass River Devil's Gap area. Constant wind changes cause smoke plumes across Yass, tricking people into thinking the fire has breeched the containment line.
12pm: 'Elvis' the fire crane takes to the sky to help aerial water bombers.
1pm: RFS protecting properties on Childowla Road. Fire is currently burning 11km west of Yass with properties in the Ferndale, Sunnyside, Springvale, Wattle Valley, Yowerweema, Katandee, Euralia and Billa Burra Burra areas warned of impact within the next two to six hours.
Evening: Fire remains 11km from Yass.
Thursday 6:23am: Fire remains at 10 kilometres west of Yass, not yet fully contained. Fire crews back burn over night to establish and deepen containment lines.
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