While many evacuated after warnings from the Rural Fire Service, a handful remained to try and protect their property.

Some fared better than others.

Batlow resident and volunteer for the Volunteer Rescue Association, Mick Gardiner, returned from rescue duties to devastation.

"I've lost everything. I came back to my house burnt to the ground and some of the neighbours' places too," he said.

The loss was beyond material for Mr Gardiner, though.

"I pulled all the fencing down before I had to go so that all the animals like my horses could get out and fend for themselves, but I don't know where they are or what's happened to them," he said.

"I don't even know where my cat is, I still haven't found him."

Fellow Batlow man Frank Thatcher was another who stayed behind to defend his home, which is still standing.

"I couldn't get my dogs in the car so I couldn't leave, I wouldn't leave them behind," he said.

"The cushion on the lounge on my front porch caught fire, I was only just finished sitting on it too.

"I was having a beer and then the next minute it just lit up so I threw it out on the yard and it burnt out."

Mr Thatcher's roof also caught fire, burning through the front awning and bubbling the paint.

"I had seven buckets of water to work with, but the firies did such a great job helping to put the roof out," he said.

"I was told not to panic because when you panic, that's when you do the wrong thing."

With no electricity and shops in town either burnt or not open, food was also becoming tight for Mr Thatcher.

"I've got no dog food, my dogs are eating my food which has thawed out so I have a bit of tinned food left for myself and the firies have given me a heap of water," he said.

Snowy Valleys councillor Margaret Isselmann was another Batlow resident to stay behind as the fire tore through town.

"The fire came up through the back and burnt the fence out," she said.

"The house across the road exploded, our windows blew out from the pressure but overall we were very lucky."

Ms Isselmann said she had been watering the property for three days before the blaze hit to deter it from catching the house.

Scorched trees lined the roads in and out of the town and fallen power lines hung overhead. The framing and blackened pumps was all that remained of the petrol station and the old canning factory was now rubble. Livestock lay on the roadside bloated from heat as farmers used forklifts to lift the remnants of their livelihood into ute trays for disposal. But yet the pub still stands.

State member for Wagga Joe McGirr and member of the Nationals Legislative Council Wes Fang toured Batlow on Sunday.

"In what we're calling the battle of Batlow, the town fought hard and I think the community has done a lot better than many expected," McGirr said.

"It's almost a miracle."

McGirr labelled the situation as "heartbreaking" and reminded the public that although they want to return to check on their homes, safety must come first.

"This is a continuing fire event and while we understand the community are anxious to get back home, their safety is more important so impact assessments must be done and I know the authorities are working tirelessly to ensure that happens as soon as possible," he said.

Mr Fang also urged the public to "Take their personal safety into their own hands".

"Have your headlights on, don't go where you're told not to go and listen to the RFS for instructions," he said.

"If people look after their own safety the emergency services can concentrate all their efforts on the front line."

Mr Fang said the preparedness of Rodger Orr and his team as well as Brad Stewart of the RFS in getting key messages out to the public was invaluable to the disaster.

"No lives have been lost to the actual fires and that is down to the briefings provided across the communities by the RFS communications teams," he said.

"All levels of government are working together in this too, there's no party politics here, we just need to work towards the the same goal of recovery."