Adelong residents say they are "taking it hour by hour" as they watch the progress of the Dunns Road bushfire.
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Sean Ryan and his family, who run the Adelong Newsagency, spent last week helping Mr Ryan's parents to defend their property near Batlow.
Now, they are watching to see if Adelong will face the fire's brunt, as weather conditions became increasingly hot and windy.
"The fire came within 30 metres of my parents' house, but we saved it," Mr Ryan said.
"Eighty per cent of the place was burnt out, but we were lucky. There were no stock losses.
Mr Ryan's daughter Sophie and son Mitchell remained to help the family defend the property.
Miss Ryan said she hoped it was the "first and last time" her family was in that situation.
The family had been well prepared and had been lucky enough to keep getting information, even after mobile coverage became erratic, as residents had worked together to make sure everyone was updated, Mr Ryan said.
At a cafe near the Ryans' newsagency, Adelong resident Adam Dean and Richard Martin were taking a break from preparing their homes.
Mr Dean lives in Adelong, while Mr Martin lives near Grahamstown. Both men were planning to remain and defend their properties and had been using heavy machinery including a grader to prepare.
"Everyone has been talking to each other, making sure we all know what's going on," Mr Dean said.