Evacuations as more than a dozen bushfires burn across Qld

Multiple alerts have been issued warning residents to get out as a large Central Queensland fire continues to intensify, threatening lives and properties. It is one of 17 bushfires burning across the state.

• Bushfire season: All you need to know

Residents in the path of a large Central Queensland fire had to be evacuated under darkness after the large blaze intensified and threatened their lives.

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES) issued a warning for residents of Deepwater, near Agnes Water in Central Queensland, to “leave immediately” about 10pm on Tuesday night when a bushfire turned deadly.

It’s one of 17 bushfires burning across Queensland, with a 2.26pm alert being issued for residents in the Oyster Creek area, warning them to “leave immediately”

“A large, fast-moving fire is burning between Oyster Creek Road and Muller Road,” the warning said.

“It is expected to impact Oyster Creek Road and Kirchner Road within the next hour”

Properties between Uxbridge Road, Oyster Creek Road, Muller Road and Coast Road, including Kirchner Road are all being affected.

The fire at Deepwater. Picture: QFES

Queensland Police Service and State Emergency Services (SES) had to evacuate residents in the path of the fire, around Capricornia Dr, Pacific Dr, Oceania Crt and Muller Rd, when their homes became under threat.

Fire crews worked into the night to fight the large fire, and issued a “seek shelter” warning about midnight for residents who didn’t evacuate their homes.

A rural firey captured this image of smoke from the Deepwater fire on Tuesday. Picture: Supplied

One house was destroyed and one other structure perished in the fire, but no one was injured.

About 6.30am, QFES advised residents it was still not safe to return to their homes, saying the fire was still burning.

“It is travelling towards Muller Rd and Pacific Dr, Baffle Creek. If you left the area, it is not safe to return,” it said.

Deepwater resident Saskia Peek lives on Matchbox Rd – just one street away from the exclusion zone.

She could see the glow of flames from her property on Tuesday night and knows friends who have lost farming equipment and supplies in the blaze.

“It is serious. People don’t realise how serious it is,” Ms Peek said.

The Deepwater fire pictured burning overnight. Picture: Westowe Rural Fire Brigade

“The water bombing helicopters are getting closer to us. There’s a mountain between us and the flames but you could see the glow above it last night.

“I was constantly waking up last night checking if I could see anything.”

Ms Peek and other community members have been baking food for the exhausted firefighters.

She said they’ve been working around the clock and competing with very windy conditions.

“We’re all looking out for each other here, we’re a really small community.”

The Deepwater fire. Picture: Westowe Rural Fire Brigade

Eurimbula Rural Fire Brigade volunteer Kathy Robertson-Cipak said the fire was like “seeing hell”.

“It’s like Armageddon,” she said.

“It’s the fastest moving fire I’ve ever had to help fight. Flames and smoke like an atom bomb with so much fuel on the ground.”

Ms Robertson-Cipak, who’s been a rural fire fighter for seven years, told The Courier-Mail how she lost all her crews in the thick smoke on Tuesday night.

“We all had to retreat as the break failed. I lost all my crews due to zero visibility, smoke and dust,” she said.

“Benaraby Rural Fire Brigade turned around to come and find me and show me the way out, risking their lives.

“Once safe I threw my helmet, cried and hugged the driver, Paul Finlay.

“Act of bravery with a fire front from nightmares.”

The Deepwater bushfire. Picture: QFES

Ms Robertson-Cipak said at one point the flames reached the height of a three-storey building before a helicopter dumped water on it.

This morning, she wrote “thank you” in dust on the top of a rural fire truck to show their appreciation for the aerial assets.

The Captain Creek woman was preparing for another night fighting the fire with her crew until Thursday morning.

“My husband is leaving his job at K’gari to defend our home with the kids as l will be out on the fire ground.”

Ground crews are still fighting the fire, and aircrews returned in the morning.

A QFES spokeswoman said further assessments on property damage were set to be done today.

It comes after another intense bushfire ripped through more than 80 hectares of land at Kabra, west of Rockhampton, on Tuesday.

A QFES spokeswoman said the “fast-moving” grass fire burnt through a large area of land and threatened structures.

The 'fast moving' vegetation fire at Kabra, west of Rockhampton. Picture: Vanessa Jarrett

Fire crews, both on the ground and in the air, worked to fight the fire and used machinery to protect the area.

As of Wednesday, the fire was burning within containment lines and was being monitored by fire crews.

More than a dozen fires are burning across the state as of Wednesday morning, including two in the Scenic Rim, two in the Toowoomba region, and one at Woodford.

All other fires were contained, but causing some smoke haze across the southeast.

Fire crews on scene at Kabra.