Inhabitants of the Central Coast in New South Wales have recounted the rapid devastation caused by a fire that engulfed their homes, leaving many with nothing but ashes.

Nick Gibbs and his family narrowly avoided disaster, managing a last-minute escape.

Describing the ordeal, he remarked, “It’s the most surreal experience of my life,” even suffering burns on his feet during the frantic getaway.

“We just ran. We literally ran. I’m not exaggerating,” he explained.

“Flames were everywhere, coming at us from both directions.”

Today, he returned with his wife and mother-in-law to face the stark aftermath and a community grappling with disbelief.

Theirs was just one home of many, with Koolewong a scene of utter devastation.

Residents remain remarkably stoic in the face of tragedy, returning to gather anything they can from their homes.

“You know, it’s a great loss, but it’s alright,” Hannah Annesley said.

“Got my brother here helping me getting all my things and everyone’s safe. That’s the main thing. And the firies and everyone did an amazing job.”

Others were distraught and desperately searching for beloved pets.

Brooke Hayward said she “lost everything” but there was a small joy today when she managed to track down her pet pig, Pumbaa.

“I didn’t have time to get anything out except for the animals so it’s pretty devastating,” she said. 

Hayward said as they escaped the fire, Pumbaa was released so he could run. She returned to the suburb today in the hope of finding him alive.

When Tony Carey realised the fire was coming about 1pm, he started hosing his house and surrounding grass, putting out spot fires.  

He called what happened next “armageddon”.

“It was creeping down and that was fine, but then the wind just picked up and it’s just gone … exploded up the hill,” he said.

“It was just unbelievable.”

He managed to save his house but his neighbours were not so lucky.

Carey says in the three and half decades he’s lived there, he’s asked National Parks to conduct hazard reductions three times but claims they never have.

Residents have been stunned at how quickly the fire sprang up.

“We actually had friends who live across the water and they rang my wife to say there’s flames behind your house and we didn’t even know,” Mark Stringfellow said.

His house survived, along with just three others near him.

“We all went down to Couche Park and we could see, we’re talking to neighbours who are watching their house burn,” he said.

Local builder and resident Steve Foskett has completed a number of homes in the area.

With his nephews he stayed to fight the blaze.

“This house here I built and got out of it maybe three, four weeks ago, but it’s still standing, but the garage is gone,” he said.

“The house on that side’s gone, the house on this side’s gone, trees coming down up the back. It was pretty full on.”

Premier Chris Minns visited Koolewong to see the devastation for himself, meeting the local MP.

He also met affected residents, but did so in private.