The NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) has defended its decision to reject help from Fire and Rescue NSW, which offered to send its urban firefighting trucks twice during the early stages of Sunday's Tathra bushfire.

Key points: Sunday's fire ravaged the town of Tathra, destroying at least 69 homes and damaging 39; no lives were lost

Sunday's fire ravaged the town of Tathra, destroying at least 69 homes and damaging 39; no lives were lost The fire jumped the river at several points, threatening the community very quickly, with residents sheltering on the beach

The fire jumped the river at several points, threatening the community very quickly, with residents sheltering on the beach People will be able to survey their properties from a mini bus driving through town today

The blaze in the small south-coast community destroyed at least 69 homes and damaged 39 more.

RFS Deputy Commissioner Rob Rogers said the vehicles on offer from Fire and Rescue — which services the state's cities and towns — were "not suitable" for fighting the bushfire, which was more than 1,000 hectares in size.

Fire and Rescue incident logs published by News Corp showed the agency offered to send crews at 12:34pm and again at 12:58pm on Sunday.

Both of those offers of help were rejected.

Sorry, this video has expired Helicopter shows devastating bushfire damage as sun rises over Tathra

"The fire was burning in remote mountainous terrain," Deputy Commissioner Rogers said.

"The vehicle that was available from Fire and Rescue was an urban pumper. It doesn't have the safe sprays or anything like to operate in that environment.

"It would have been dangerous to have that there."

The Deputy Commissioner said the area was narrow and there was a "limit to what you can do there".

"Dealing with fires on those days — the chances of us stopping that fire completely with another truck — I don't think would've been any measurable difference," he said.

Almost 70 properties have been reduced to rubble. ( AAP: Dean Lewins )

The RFS issued a priority request for help from Fire and Rescue at 3:40pm as the fire front approached homes in Tathra.

The RFS declared a bushfire emergency in the area just before 4:00pm on Sunday.

A hot and windy day fanned the flames over the Bega River and ensured the fire was difficult to fight from above.

Power and communication lines are still being restored in the town. ( ABC News: Peta Doherty )

Asbestos risk lessens, some residents allowed in

Some Tathra residents would be allowed back to their properties today after initial air quality testing results have showed it is generally safe.

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Authorities are also running buses of residents through the town today to review the damage to their properties.

Local authorities had been concerned toxic asbestos dust could have settled in the bushfire-stricken town.

Some individual properties would require further testing for asbestos contamination and would be fenced off.

Recovery coordinator Euan Ferguson said the area needed to be safe before the community could return.

"It's well known that asbestos dust, which arises after asbestos is burned, is very mobile and can get into the atmosphere," he said.

"It can get into the lungs and cause fatal diseases."

RFS officers last night briefed those who had fled the town during the blaze.

It was the first time some of them received confirmation they had no home to go back to.

Asbestos warning signs have been put up outside properties in Tathra where the poison has been identified. ( ABC News: Andrew Kennedy )

'No warning' about fire

Tathra resident Tim Re was frustrated by the lack of coordination between emergency services to let people back into town. ( ABC News: Peter Rothwell )

Many people who gathered at the Bega Evacuation Centre expressed frustration and anger at not being allowed back to their properties or finding out through media reports their homes had been destroyed.

Tathra local Tim Re said he could not understand why some residents were, and some residents were not, able to pass checkpoints and access their homes.

"The majority of people getting turned away yesterday were poor elderly people," he said.

"I've been in multiple times. It's bullshit."

Mr Re also said his family had received no warning about the fire until it was nearly taking over the town.

"No warning. There was a few trucks, a few lights, I understand they probably sent mobile stuff," he said.

"I'm not a scientist or a geologist. By that time the wind's going that way and there's one town in the way, it's coming, it's coming, it's not slowing down."

Sorry, this video has expired Rob Rogers answers questions over RFS warning to residents

Leaders visited the aftermath

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull both visited the area yesterday and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten visited the Bega evacuation centre this morning.

The Insurance Council of Australia said it was still too early to gauge what the insurance bill from the Tathra bushfire would be.

As most property owners are yet to return to their homes to see the extent of the damage, or if they are even still standing, they are therefore yet to lodge insurance claims.

"Insurers are only just starting to reach the worst-affected areas and are reporting widespread destruction of properties, but the final numbers won't be known for several days," Insurance Council spokesman Campbell Fuller said.

"Insurers are very much waiting on householders to lodge claims so they can get the claims process moving.

"But once those claims are lodged insurers will follow with response teams and assessors and those assessors will look at how best to help customers."