Residents can return home after PSPA exclusion order revoked

Residents can return to their homes as firefighters confirm they have brought a tyre depot blaze that caused toxic smoke, fireballs and explosions under control. See the dramatic photos and videos.

Residents can return to their homes as Queensland Police lift the emergency declaration for parts of Kalkie after an explosive fire at a tyre depot.

Police revoked the PSPA exclusion order on Friday morning which was in place for Zielke Ave.

A spokesperson confirmed no one was physically injured as a result of the fire and it was not being treated as suspicious.

Earlier, firefighters from around the region including Gin Gin and Childers brought the fires under control after a Kalkie truck depot went up in flames on Thursday.

Crews begin the cleanup operation the morning after the fire.

A Queensland Fire and Emergency Services spokesperson said all fire crews left the scene overnight.

Fire investigation crews were expected to arrive on the scene on Friday, March 24.

They said three firefighters were treated by paramedics for smoke inhalation but recovered to rejoin the firefight.

The fire destroyed some structures in the truck depot.

Police had blocked part of Bundaberg off and evacuated residents on Thursday afternoon while multiple crews battled to extinguish the serious blaze.

A truck at the depot was destroyed in the blazing fire.

Witnesses reported hearing several explosions at Lindsay Transport on Zielke Ave, Rubyanna, with thick dark smoke pouring into the sky from the inferno.

At 6pm, smoke was still billowing from the blaze.

The Queensland Fire and Rescue Service issued an update just before 5pm to say crews were still on scene.

“Multiple Queensland Fire and Emergency Services crews are currently on scene at a commercial structure fire on Zielke Avenue, Rubyanna,” the QFES statement read.

“Crews are working to bring the fire under control.

QAS shared this image from the scene.

“The fire is generating large volumes of thick smoke which may affect the surrounding area.

“QPS have made an emergency declaration under the Public Safety Preservation Act.”

Nearby residents should close doors and windows and keep respiratory medications close by, if required.

Motorists should drive with caution and to conditions.

Dramatic images from around the exclusion zone.

A QFES spokesman said five gas bottles appeared to have been involved in the frightening inferno.

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Multiple fire crews are responding to a large gas bottle which has gone up in flames at Zielke Rd, Rubyanna, on March 23, 2023.

No injuries were reported, but a another truck and a nearby shed were reportedly under threat from the blaze.

Traffic control stands guard as multiple explosions are heard.

Witnesses were left stunned as fireballs exploded at the property, lighting the sky up in flames, while people at the property were screaming for others to get out of the area.

Debris flies through the air at Kalkie.

“That’s scary,” Haydie-May Bird said as she watched the disaster unfold from her nearby property, capturing it on camera.

“So we were both inside and all of a sudden we hear this loud explosion,” she explained.

“And at first we thought that one of the pumps under the house had exploded, so we go outside and we can‘t see anything.”

Ms Bird described it as “crazy”.

“All of a sudden we see just a copious amount of smoke and just a tonne of loud explosions started to happen,” she said.

“We raced down to the driveway and all we see is just the depot on fire.”

Police have now blocked off parts of Kalkie with boundaries stretching across Sauers Rd, Presslers Rd, Bargara Rd and Gahans Rd.

Dramatic images from around the exclusion zone.

Residents within the exclusion zone were evacuated and urged to follow emergency service instructions.

The area was covered in smoke.

Dramatic images from around the exclusion zone.

Traffic around the exclusion zone.