Bushfire burning on Curtis Island believed to be deliberately lit

A bushfire ravaging a Central Queensland island has finally been contained, with rangers investigating whether it was deliberately lit.

An aerial of the fire burning on Curtis Island, which is threatening the habitat of the Yellow Chat, a threatened species.

A bushfire ravaging a Central Queensland island has been contained, with rangers believing the fire to have been deliberately lit.

The Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service rangers were in the process of completing two planned burns in the north of Curtis Island, off the coast of Gladstone, on Sunday when about 1.45pm they noticed a bushfire spreading 2km away on the marine plain.

Rangers immediately responded to the bushfire and, given the distance between the fire and the planned burns, believe it was deliberately lit.

Fire investigators attended on Wednesday and were continuing to gather evidence.

The bushfire has burnt through about 1200 hectares of the marine plain on Curtis Island, off the coast of Gladstone. Picture: Contributed

The bushfire had branched out into two fronts, with one fire heading in a north-westerly direction that was expected to self-extinguish against saltwater mudflats, salt pans and country that underwent a planned burn in March.

Another fire burning in a south easterly direction had impacted some dry melaleuca swamp on the eastern side of the marine plain.

The bushfire branched out into two fronts. Picture: Contributed

Rangers were on Friday mopping up the fire, and there was constructed containment lines to the west and south of the fire ground.

The fire had not impacted the she-oak forests in the dune system, but had burnt through about 1200 hectares of the marine plain.

QPWS rangers have worked diligently to prevent the fire from threatening sensitive ecosystems. Picture: Contributed

Rangers worked diligently to prevent the fire from threatening sensitive ecosystems, including fire sensitive coastal dune forests and the habitat of the Capricorn yellow chat, a threatened species of bird.

The yellow chat, which is endemic to the Capricorn Coast, was first collected in the Rockhampton region in 1859 and is listed as endangered under the Queensland Nature Conservation Act 1992 and critically endangered under the Commonwealth Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

The Capricorn Yellow Chat is just one of the bird species that can be discovered in the region. Photo Contributed

After it was initially discovered in 1859, it was considered possibly extinct until a small population was discovered 132 years later on Curtis Island.

Another subspecies was rediscovered in 2003 and 2004 in the Broad Sound area north of Rockhampton and the Fitzroy Delta.

Rangers will continue to monitor the fire ground into the weekend. Picture: Contributed

The Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service had used aerial water bombing and four on-ground crews, including bulldozers and graders to contain the bushfire.

Rangers would continue to monitor the fire ground into the weekend to ensure the fire was contained and extinguished.

Anyone with information about the bushfire is urged to contact police or the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service.