Prepare to leave warning for Gin Gin as school students relive blaze terror

A terrifying fire that quickly went from being 8km away from a Bundaberg school to within 400m caused an emergency evacuation that has bonded the students with firefighters. But a new firefight is under way in Gin Gin.

Residents in Gin Gin have been issued a prepare to leave warning with firefighters warning conditions could get worse quickly.

The warning was issued for a small, slow-moving fire burning near Gossling Street which is travelling towards Cemetery Road.

Firefighting aircraft were helping ground crews, the advice just after 2pm said.

Meanwhile, Goodwood State School students clambered over fire trucks with smiling faces on Friday morning after the doors to their school reopened following an emergency fire evacuation three days earlier.

Emergency services presented the school with a plaque to thank the students and their teachers for their quick work evacuating the school on Tuesday, when a Goodwood fire jumped containment lines.

Goodwood State School teacher Teresa Fitch shared this image of the flames approaching the school, moments before they were evacuated.

Goodwood Rural Fire Brigade first officer Richard Greatorex said the school acted quickly and worked with emergency services, as the fire got to within 400m.

“It was a quite big job, especially with a fast moving, very intense fire like we had to deal with,” he said.

He said the blaze travelled quickly from the initial starting point more than 8km away, and it was the swift effort from emergency services that created a containment break which saved the school.

“This school came under ember attacks, hot ashes dropping down around the school, so we weren’t sure if we could pull it up here or not,” he said.

While the fire continued to burn on Friday, it had been contained, and fire fighters expect to monitor the containment lines for the next few days.

Mitch, Thea and Nora from Goodwood State School stand with their thank you cards for emergency services.

However, Mr Greatorex said the silver lining was hearing the students’ messages of thanks, and seeing how his team had inspired so many young minds.

“It was good to see when the officer asked them what they were going to be in the future, ‘did they want to be fireys?’ It was great to see all the little hands go up,” he said.

As a thank you to emergency services, the students have begun work on hand-coloured cards to fireys and police.

One Goodwood State School student, Amabelle, said she felt good to be back at school and had a message for emergency services.

“Thank you for going out of their way to save the school and put out the fire,” she said.

She recalled watching the smoke come closer to the school, and the moment the evacuation notice came.

“The teachers were trying to get us into the classroom, they didn’t want us outside so we didn’t breathe in any smoke,” she said.

Students from Goodwood State School thanked emergency services for keeping their school safe.

“I was feeling scared at the time, and anxious. It looked really black, and it all looked a little red because of the sun.”

Another student Jackson said he was “very grateful” to be back at school, and had his own message for emergency services.

“Thank you for putting out all the great fires and helping all the local people around the area.”