A hotel and a heritage centre have been gutted after a bushfire threatened a small community on Tasmania's west coast, with locals banding together to save residences from the flames.
As of 6:15pm AEDT on Tuesday, authorities said they had contained the fire in the rural town of Rosebery, which earlier damaged several buildings — including a replica worker's hut at the local heritage centre and the Mount Black Lodge hotel accommodation.
Tasmania Fire Service regional fire controller Tony Wood said approximately 40 firefighters and three firefighting aircraft were involved in the effort to bring the fire under control.
"The fire has burnt approximately three hectares and impacted several buildings with substantial damage to Mount Black Lodge."
"Currently the cause of the fire is undetermined. Firefighting investigations will commence once firefighting operations are complete."
"I urge members of the Rosebery community to keep up to date with details on the TasAlerts website and take steps to prepare and keep safe."
Rosebery resident Eleanor Roberts said people were putting out spot fires near her property.
"While I was hosing down, someone came along and told me there were embers making a fire in my front yard in the wood, and I couldn't even see it, there was so much smoke."
Terri Thompson said she had been "shaking like a leaf".
"[We're] all packed ready to go, we've been informed to get ready just in case, so the bags are all ready to go, we just thought we would hold out to the last minute to see what eventuated … it's still pretty close.
"There are a lot of embers falling, so I've been watering the trees."
Local resident Dean von Bibra said he had lived in the town since 1989 and it was the first time he had seen a situation like this.
"Everybody's been on pretty high alert, looking for spot fires, even though it's quietened down a bit now. It's not a nice position to be in at the moment with the way the heat and weather is down here."
He said he'd done what he could to help out, lending a hand to try and save the town's heritage centre.
"I went down to give them a hand with that. I think they pretty well got it out, I don't think it's wrecked the whole building.
"But there'll be a lot of water damage and smoke damage inside so I don't know what's going to happen with that.
"I'm feeling thankful that I've got some people round to keep an eye out and my neighbour's the same, because she was in Queenstown actually. She had to hotfoot it over here.
"It's just nice that the community all rally in times like this. Everybody's come out and the SES and the firies and the cops — it's just a big thanks to all them getting out here and on top of it. We could have lost a lot more than just the lodge and the heritage centre.
"So thank you to everyone who got out and had a crack."
The Tasmanian Fire Service (TFS) earlier on Tuesday issued a Watch and Act warning for a blaze on Arthur Street in Rosebery, telling residents they should prepare to leave..
The bushfire comes as much of Tasmania, including the west coast, has sweltered in temperatures exceeding 30 degrees, with authorities issuing a severe weather warning for damaging winds across much of the state from early Wednesday.
People can keep updated on the situation on the TasAlerts website.
