Terrifying timelapse footage shows smoke billowing from a bushfire in Moruya, east of Canberra, forming a blanket over the skyline.

As the timelapse goes on the flames from the fire can be seen edging closer towards the camera as day turns to night on January 4.

Tristan Richards, who filmed this footage, told Newsflare: "The Clyde River fire churned vast columns of ash-laden smoke and roared unrelentingly as my family and I played scrabble by torchlight to distract ourselves and perpetuate an illusory sense of normality.

"I didn't want to look out the window myself, as I live only a few kms to the east of that inferno, but I couldn't pass up the chance to film it and watch when I had the stomach for it."