<p>A resident in Tathra defended his home with a garden hose from a devastating bushfire that wiped out 69 homes in the New South Wales town on Sunday.</p><p>The bushfire in Tathra, which broke out on March 18, continued to actively burn on Monday with residents who were still unable to return to the area, ABC reported</a>. The blaze jumped containment line on Sunday afternoon and spread rapidly that the Rural Fire Service reported residents were only given a matter of minutes to evacuate their homes.</p><p>Not all residents were able to leave their homes, however. The fast-moving blaze combined with poor mobile phone reception and damaged mobile towers meant many residents missed the window of opportunity to leave, The Daily Telegraph reported</a>.</p><p>This video, taken by Adam McCabe, shows him using a garden hose against the fires encroaching his property. In the distance, homes and trees can be seen completely engulfed in fire as large red embers rained over his yard. Credit: Adam McCabe via Storyful</p><br />
