Gold Coast bushfires: Hinterland residents on edge at blazing bush fires in Sabarah

Long-time residents spooked by a series of fires in the Gold Coast Hinterland are on tenterhooks as it continues to threaten properties.

LONG-time residents spooked by a series of fires in the Gold Coast hinterland yesterday were on tenterhooks last night as it continued to threatened properties.

Hinterland residents were yesterday warned to be prepared to evacuate as firefighters and waterbombing aircraft battled multiple blazes.

At deadline, the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES) warned bushfires at Sarabah, south of Canungra could worsen.

“If you do not have a plan, or intend to leave, you should be ready to leave the area because the situation could get worse quickly,” QFES said.

Smoke blanketed the region yesterday. Picture: Glenn Hampson

At 5.45pm the large blaze was in “difficult terrain” between Lamington National Park Road and Upper Coomera Road. No properties were under “direct threat” but due to conditions residents were urged to be ready to act.

Canungra BP service station owner Michael Covino said: “People are worried about some of the local properties.”

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Photos of the Gold Coast fires raging on from Canungra Beechmont not far from Beechmont, looking west. PICTURES: Dirk Klynsmith www.dirkklynsmithphotography.com

Most customers filing through his shop were talking about it with some fearing their homes were in trouble.

Mr Covino said the bushfire was particularly worrying due to strong winds in the hinterland and a lack of rain to fill the tanks in recent times.

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Firefighters worked hard to keep a backburn under control on the eastern slopes of Mt Tamborine. Picture: Glenn Hampson

“It’s very windy and looks like it picked up again. It’s so dry. There’s a lot of dead grass around. We’ve really had no rain at all over winter.

“People are just waiting for instructions from the fireys to see if they get evacuated. Once they’ve got to move, that’s it, they’ve really got to.”

Mr Covino had been providing drinks to emergency services and would remain open after hours.

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Hinterland residents were feeling nervous last night as the fires raged Picture: Glenn Hampson

Sarabah’s Belinda Whitby, picking her kids up from school, was concerned for her father fighting the fire with the Rural Fire Service.

“We’re all good but it’s just getting close to Mum and Dad’s. It’s still on the other side of the river so all right for now,” she said.

“Last I heard there was 30 trucks out at the fire. Those of us that have been here forever, it’s just part of drought life out here.”

Mrs Whitby offered her thanks to firefighters on the frontline and particularly “our local boys that have been out there from the start”.

“Everybody who goes out to these fires deserves a medal,” she said.

Emergency services have gathered at Canungra Fire Station, which was packed with police, firefighters and paramedics on Wednesday afternoon.

Originally published as Gold Coast bushfires: Hinterland residents on edge at blazing bush fires in Sabarah