Mount Isa deputy mayor Phil Barwick explains fire efforts

Firefighters in Mount Isa are waring of worsening conditions and mining operations are impacted by smoke. See the shocking footage of a close escape.

Visible flames looking out over Breakaway in Mount Isa at about 1.54am on Friday.

Mount Isa firefighters and organisations will focus efforts on protecting a telecommunications tower, as fires rage east and north of the mining city.

A fire at Breakaway, east of the city, had been contained but resident Michelle Donald said a section of it had restarted.

“It’s definitely unrelenting,” Mrs Donald said.

“I feel okay but it’s very ominous, smoky but the firefighters and all the husbands and sons and us women are all having a go to beat it, the wind keeps reigniting it.”

Deputy mayor Phil Barwick said firefighters were wary of increased wind conditions.

Cr Barwick said there were still concerns about protecting “Telstra Hill” about 10km east of the mining city at Breakaway, near where one of the fires had started due to the sparks off a flat horse float wheel.

A grader was being used to clear the ground to prevent the fire from spreading.

The Barkly Highway had reopened last night but would close again today, Cr Barwick said.

Fast-moving fires have taken a hold across the state, with the worst of the damage in the Western Downs.

Two people have died.

Video taken from a campsite some 200km from Mount Isa showed how heavily the sky was blanketed by smoke.

@codiarena2 Queensland outback at our camp-site #bushfire#mountisa#qldfires♬ original sound - codiarena

Myuma Group chef Codi Arena posted video of the fire which happened on Wednesday night.

“The fire rolled in over from the highway and came all the way up to our camp sites burning everything around us,” Mr Arena said.

He said that two trucks were damaged in the fire.

Mr Arena said most of the staff stayed in the area to keep the camp safe.

One of the buildings that caught on fire due to dead leaves in the gutters was fought with a fire hose, he said.

Mayor Danielle Slade said the fire at Myuma had not been verified but she would seek further detail when emergency services met tomorrow morning.

She said there was currently no risk to properties.

Cr Slade urged residents not to travel unnecessarily due to the large amount of smoke, or to put themselves at risk while taking videos of the fires.

“If intending to travel please check to see that roads are open when you do,” she said.

She hoped the fishing classic could be rescheduled but that it was important to “err on the sign of caution” to make sure people were safe.

Emergency services have worked through the night to contain any risk to residential areas.

There is currently a water bomber and spotter aircraft working the area to contain spot outbreaks and support ground crews on the fire fronts.

Council Staff are assisting as is Mines personal with plant and equipment to create fire breaks and to extinguish fires.

Cr Slade urges residences to not sight-see or travel through road closures as it may present unnecessary risks.

Meanwhile at another fire north of the city campers gathering for an annual fishing classic had been evacuated from Lake Moondarra.

The nearby George Fisher mine site was evacuated due to smoke.

A water bomber taking water from Lake Moondarra had been effective in reducing the severity of the fires and Mount Isa Mines had supplied trucks to help fight the blaze.

A Mount Isa Mines spokeswoman said there was no immediate threat to the company’s operations but that the company was observing the situation closely and keeping regular contact with emergency services.

“Although there is no immediate threat to our operations, we have activated our emergency management procedures at George Fisher Mine and returned employees to the surface, due to smoke entering the ventilation systems.

“The health and safety of our people remains our top priority.”

The company also supplied graders, dozers and water trucks to help emergency services prepare against fires around Mount Isa.

Queensland Fire and Emergency Service’s updates warnings said Breakaway residents should be prepared to leave, while Lake Moonadarra is still considered unsafe to return.

Keep up to date with QFES bushfire warnings here https://www.qfes.qld.gov.au/Current-Incidents

Originally published as Mount Isa deputy mayor Phil Barwick explains fire efforts