Queensland’s grim bushfire outlook as Commissioner urges residents to prepare for worst

Queensland is on high alert this bushfire season with the majority of the state under threat, as the chief of the firefighters’ union says it will act as a true litmus test for them. CHECK YOUR AREA.

Intense bushfires will threaten the majority of Queensland this Spring, with the state’s dry soil and flammable, grassy landscape creating perfect conditions for localised fires in high population areas.

The national bushfire outlook has been released with updated red mapping used to indicate which areas of Australia will see increased risk of fire this year.

Nearly the entire Queensland coastline is covered in red, showing high bush fire risks in every area stretching from the Gold Coast up to Innisfail and across to Mount Isa.

The anticipated destructive bushfire season is due to the expected arrival of El Nino, which promises to deliver below average rainfall and dry temperatures, coupled with mass amounts of dry vegetation that grew exponentially during the three years of the rainy La Nina weather pattern.

Queensland Firefighters Union State Secretary John Oliver said the upcoming season would act as a true litmus test for firefighters who would face never-before-seen conditions.

“You’d have to be pretty brave to say we’re capable of handling every incident in scale considering the uplift in risk in Queensland from climate change in recent years,” he said.

“We’ve had a few seasons of rain without major fires and I am concerned but we’ll do our best and obviously you can never have enough firefighters. This will be a litmus test.

“We know we’re in for a big season, it’s not caught us by surprise, whether we’re fully prepared enough, time will tell.”

Australia's Bushfire Outlook Spring 2023.

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner Greg Leach said grassfires were of a significant concern and it was now too late for residents to start hazard reduction burns on private properties.

“If you’re thinking about using fire to clean up around your property, we’ve probably left the run too late,” he said.

“Please, before you introduce more fire into the landscape, talk to your local fire brigade and get some advice. There are other ways to go about cleaning up around your property whether it’s mechanical slashing, but please get some advice about that.

“In the last six months we’ve seen well below average rainfall that’s led to significant grassland growth right through central and western Queensland.

“And with the warmer weather that’s here now that grass is drying out, and we’ve started to see a significant increase in particularly grassfire and scrub over the last few weeks.

“So our message to people is please take care out there. If you’ve been thinking about using fire to clean up around your property, it’s probably the time where it’s too late, so please liaise with the local rural fire brigade or with the local fire warden because it might be time to do something else to clean up around your property.”

The Commissioner said two thirds of Queensland were under threat which would move from central and western parts of the state through to hinterland areas and those close to the Great Dividing Range.

He said he was confident the state had enough trained firefighters ready to tackle the difficult season ahead, with 26,500 personnel currently servicing Queensland’s 1400 brigades.

“They’re well prepared, they’re well trained and increasingly better equipped to deal with the risks that they’re facing,” he said.

“But of course, we need to continue to do more because what we’re seeing with our changing climate is the risk that we’re facing is increasing every year that’s presenting new challenges.”

To assist firefighters in the climate challenges ahead, the government has increased its investment in trucks and equipment.

Commissioner Leach also confirmed the Australian Defence Force would step in to help first responders if necessary.

Grass fires are of significant concern for this bushfire season.

“With around two thirds of Queensland in the red, obviously there’s very different vegetation types right across Queensland so what we’re seeing at the moment and in central and western Queensland is a drying out of those grasslands, so that’s where our significant grassfire and scrub fire threat is at the moment,” he said.

“But as the westerly stuff comes through and things dry out over coming months, our forests along the hinterlands, along the Great Dividing Range will start to dry out, so we’ll move out of predominant grass high risk over the coming months as we get deeper into spring and into early summer, we’ll see more of a threat in the bush land areas around the hinterland.”

An extra $80 million will be spent on building new fire trucks and vehicles to be delivered to brigades within two years.

Fire and Emergency Services Minister Mark Ryan said the total investment now stands at $120m and will deliver over 400 fire appliances and trucks including heavy attack tankers, medium attack units and light attack vehicles.

Fire brigades have also started trialling a new truck which includes a high grade deluge system and cabin heat shielding allowing firefighters safe passage through wildfires.

“We’ll get their feedback on what they think works well and what doesn’t work so well to put into it an ultimate design for a new generation of heavy tanker for rural fire brigades,” Commissioner Leach said.

Significant rainfall across the central and far northwest areas of Queensland during July delayed the onset of the northern Australian fire season however due to a predicted decrease in rainfall this Spring, northern and central Queensland grasslands, timber country and Savannah grasslands, will also see increased fire risk.

Reduced seasonal rainfall, low root zone soil moisture levels and elevated evaporation rates across areas around the inland parts of the Capricornia, Wide Bay–Burnett and the Southeast Coastal forecast areas, and in widespread parts of the Southern Downs and Granite Belt, have combined to produce above average fire potential.

Queensland is now undergoing “risk based” hazard reduction burning, with parks and wildlife areas completing all scheduled burns.

“So far this calendar year we’ve done over 650 mitigation burns across Queensland,” Commissioner Leach said.

Commissioner Greg Leach said he was confident the state had enough trained firefighters ready to tackle the difficult season ahead.

“In the last eight months since we moved to this new program we’ve done over 1700 burns … while that’s great, we do know though that we’ve got significant grassland growth right across Queensland, so despite us trying to do as much as we can, we were cognisant that there’s still risk out there.”

National climate influences have shifted significantly since last spring, bringing high fire risk to large areas of Queensland, the Northern Territory, and New South Wales, and smaller regions in Victoria and South Australia.

National Council of Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities (AFAC) chief executive Rob Webb said increased bushfire risk was “widespread” and urged Australians to start preparing their fire plans.

“Almost the entire country can expect drier and warmer conditions than normal this spring, so it is important for Australians be alert to local risks of bushfire over the coming months, regardless of their location,” he said.

“Fire is a regular part of the Australian landscape in spring. Wherever you live, work or travel, now is the time to plan and prepare.

“Understand your risk, know where you will get your information, and talk to your family about what you will do.”

The Seasonal Bushfire Outlook is jointly informed by all Australian fire authorities and the Bureau of Meteorology.

Queenslanders are being warned to prepare for the worst.