Rugby league legend Ron Coote, who won premierships with both the Sydney Roosters and the Rabbitohs, has lost his South Coast home in the town of Lake Conjola, north of Ulladulla.

His wife Robin and daughter Natalie were forced to jump into the lake with friends to survive flames that pursued them to the water's edge on Tuesday.

Mr Coote, 75, stayed to defend his home, but "all of a sudden it was on top of us".

"We had pumps and fire hoses, we had to use the water out of the swimming pool," Mr Coote told Today.