QLD bushfire update: Protecting your health, safety from smoke inhalation

Four Queensland towns are choking through a smoke haze that’s sent air quality ratings plummeting to ‘very poor’ today as bushfires rage across the state. SEE AIR QUALITY LEVELS

Air quality has plummeted to ‘very poor’ levels in four Queensland towns as bushfires rage across the state.

Mt Isa’s The Gap currently has the worst air quality in Queensland due to a combination of dust and southerly winds pushing smoke north while Upper Humbug in the Darling Downs, Hopeland in the Western Downs region and Cannon Hill in Brisbane are also listed as ‘very poor’.

The Gap has an air pollution summary index level of 267 while Upper Humbug is 207, Hopeland is 156 and Cannon Hill is 154.

The ideal air quality level is between 34 and 66, according to the Queensland Government live air data.

Air quality levels remain low today with southerly winds forcing smoke around Queensland.

Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Michael Knepp said conditions in The Gap are expected to improve.

The smoke haze has returned to parts of Queensland (AAP Image/Dan Peled)

“The southerly winds were far stronger this morning, they are already starting to improve,” Mr Knepp said.

The live air data scale ranks air quality from very good to very poor in five sections, a number over 150 signifies that levels are very poor.

EARLIER: It comes as parents are being urged to keep asthmatic children home and tradies should wear protective masks as the thick smoke haze blankets southeast Queensland, returning air quality to dangerous levels.

Smoke pushed from bushfires in NSW and the Scenic Rim has reduced visibility and air quality across the southeast, sparking fears today’s level of air pollution will again be worse than in Beijing, as it was on Monday.

Despite those concerns, work has resumed at Brisbane’s Queens Wharf construction site this morning.

Destination Brisbane Consortium yesterday moved to suspend work following warnings from chief health officer Jeannette Young that workers should limit time outside amid the city’s unprecedented very poor air quality.

But a spokesman said work had restarted today.

“Conditions will continue to be monitored,” he said.

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Respiratory physician Dr Philip Masel said those at highest risk are the elderly, children, pregnant women, smokers and people with pre-existing heart and lung conditions.

“If a child has had unstable asthma and their parents are worried about them, it’s a good idea to keep them home and get them checked by a GP,” Dr Masel said. “For moderate to severe asthma, they definitely should consider keeping them at home. I think pretty much every child should be limiting their exposure to the outside if there is a lot of smoke haze around,” he said.

Lauren Eichperger, 28 of Mt Gravatt, walking along Kangaroo Point cliffs with smoke covering the sky over Brisbane City on Monday. Photographer: Liam Kidston.

Dr Masel said adults with asthma should also limit any exposure to the outside until the smoke haze subsides and check in with a GP to ensure preventive medication is in date and working as it should.

“These particles are about 130th the diameter of a human hair, so they’re extremely small particles and they can easily get down into the lung tissue and airways and the immune system is fired up and you can get very red, inflamed airways,” Dr Masel said.

“If smoke haze increases back up to Monday’s levels of 180µg/m, adults with asthma definitely want to be restricting their activity outside to a minimum,” he said. People required to work outside should consider wearing a protective mask,” Dr Masel said.

Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young has urged all Queenslanders to minimise their time outside and if ­possible shut doors and put airconditioners on.

She said Queensland Health had seen an increase in patients admitted to hospitals for respiratory issues and again urged people to avoid outdoor physical exercise such as running. Ms Young said while it may seem clear, dangerous particles could still be present in the air and “people need to be alert”.

Bureau of Meteorology Meteorologist Dean Narramore said the smoke haze was coming from a combination of several severe bushfires in northern NSW and Queensland’s Scenic Rim and it was difficult to predict when the smoke haze would clear.

Worst to best air quality levels in Queensland as of 2pm 13/11/2019

The Gap -247 Very Poor

Upper Humbug - 207 Very Poor

Hopeland - 156 Very Poor

Cannon Hill -154 Very Poor

Clinton - 143 Poor

South Gladstone - 140 Poor

Boyne Island - 128 Poor

Flinders View -128 Poor

Targinie - 127 Poor

Fisherman’s Landing - 122 Poor

Southport - 120 Poor

Boat Creek - 119 Poor

Miles Airport - 114 Poor

Wynnum - 109 Poor

Wooloongabba - 108 Poor

Lytton- 103 Poor

Mountain Creek- 103 Poor

Rocklea - 102 Poor

Wynnum West - 100 Poor

Blackwater - 99 Fair

Environment Park - 98 Fair

Moranbah - 95 Fair

Auckland Point - 94 Fair

South Brisbane - 93 Fair

Springwood - 91 Fair

North Ward - 90 Fair

Coastguard - 84 Fair

Brisbane CBD- 83 Fair

West Mackay - 80 Fair

Deception Bay - 59 Good

Lennon Drive - 59 Good

North Maclean - 54 Good

Memorial Park - 52 Good

Mutdapilly - 44 Good