Following a disaster committee management meeting, the Premier praised the facility to which her Government has contributed over $1.5 million.
She congratulated the efforts of frontline staff to save 246 homes.
“An incredible effort all round,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
“We know families and many members of the public will be going through a tough time at the moment and there will be some emotional distress.
“We’re talking with the Australian Red Cross and making sure we’ve got more Red Cross councillors deployed to areas that have been impacted to get the care they need and we want to make sure they’re on the road to recovery.”
Speaking about providing financial assistance, she said they have had received 149 applications in the Livingstone Area for emergency hardship payments which had been paid out benefiting 350 people.
QFES Acting Commissioner Michael Wassing praised the efforts of fire fighters and expressed gratitude that there were minimal injuries and no lives lost fighting the fierce blaze.
He confirmed that 15 homes and 28 sheds were lost in the bushfire.
“The local fire is well contained and controlled and given the conditions, with the firefighters still out there and the aircraft resources, we’re very confident that fire’s not going anywhere,” Mr Wassing said.
The fire was expected to be fully contained in the next week as backburning activities continued.
He said the weather outlook was looking testing for CQ with a very high threat expected.
Member for Keppel Brittany Lauga praised the efforts of emergency personnel including Ergon crews from around the state who have reestablished power to over 900 homes in five days.
“Now as we move into recovery, I want the community to know that we will stand shoulder to shoulder with you,” Ms Lauga said.
We will be there every step of the way getting you back into your home, helping you recover, getting that power back on and helping to deal with the shock and the trauma our community will experience now and in the next couple of months and rebuild your life, your business or farm.”
Old ally lends support
THE US ambassador to Australia has offered a message of support to Australians in their ongoing battles with bushfires.
"On behalf of the American people and government, I would like to extend my sincerest condolences to the families and communities who have lost loved ones, homes and livelihoods in the terrible bushfires in recent days," Arthur B. Culvahouse said in a statement.
"... Australian firefighters are some of the most professional and effective anywhere in the world.
"As Americans, we know this because we have seen it first-hand – when your firefighters have come to help us face our own devastating forest fires.
"Our fire services’ co-operation extends back decades and is part of the long U.S.-Australian friendship and alliance.
"I understand that the tactical firefighting air-tanker Tanker 911 is already headed to Australia from New Mexico as part of an ongoing arrangement.
"These converted DC-10 aircraft can drop up to 9400 gallons of fire retardant and have been used with success in Australia several times in recent years..."
Horror conditions ahead
Minimal rain and hot temperatures predicted for the next three days are expected to give little reprieve to firefighters battling blazes.
Bureau of Meteorology national operations leader Richard Wardle said they are expecting severe fire conditions in the Darling Downs and Granite Belt until at least Sunday.
The bureau is monitoring 70 fires alongside QFES and is focusing heavily on the Noosa North Shore, Woodgate, Black Snake and Kilkivan fires.
Isolated thunderstorms are also forecast for the southeast, but are expected to bring “minimal” rain.
“The main story with these storms could be the dry lightning potentially igniting further fires,” Mr Wardle said.
The warmer conditions returning over the weekend will also see a low-intensity heatwave set in for the south east, Granite Belt and Darling Downs.
An onshore flow will provide a slight relief for coastal areas.
The bureau is expecting next week that the heatwave will push north up as far as the Gulf of Carpentaria.
Mr Wardle said the temperatures likely to set in over the weekend would bring high and severe fire dangers.
“The temperatures in some locations will be six degrees above average for this time of year,” he said.
“Winds won’t be that much of a story unless they are associated with gusty thunderstorms.”
Smoke haze is likely to remain low over the weekend but a southerly wind change early next week could bring conditions back to what was experienced earlier this week.
For the longer-range forecast, Mr Wardle said Queensland will remain “dryer than average” with no significant rain on the horizon.
Juvenile charged over Yeppoon blaze
A 16-YEAR-old boy has been charged over the fire that destroyed more than a dozen homes in Yeppoon in central Queensland.
State Disaster Commander Deputy Commissioner Steve Gollschewski today confirmed charges had been laid against a 16-year-old boy for the fire that has resulted in the loss of 36 structures across the Capricorn Coast, including 14 homes.
The offender will be dealt with under the Youth Justice Act.
Deputy Commissioner Gollschewski said it was "very disappointing" the devastating fire was allegedly intentionally lit.
"Unfortunately there is a spectrum of behavior and we see people acting maliciously as well," he said.
Police continue to conduct a number of arson investigations, with 66 people being dealt with for lighting suspicious fires since the inception of Taskforce Overcoss in September.
Noosa blaze under control
FIREFIGHTERS have managed to contain the Noosa North Shore bushfire, but residents are still being told not to return home.
Queensland Fire and Emergency Services' "watch and act" warning is still advising residents to "leave now" as the fire continues to pose a threat to Noosa North Shore near the First Cutting.
The fire is contained, but QFES says there has been a number of flare ups and the situation could change quickly.
Residents should not return to the area until authorities advise it's safe to do so.
It is believed arsonists could be behind two blazes.
View from above of Woodgate monster
Sunshine Coast-based MI Helicopters have posted stunning aerial footage of the Woodgate fires as they conducted water bombing and mapping on Wednesday.
Smoke warnings revoked
Queensland Health has revoked smoke warnings across the state but is urging people to remain vigilant while fires continue to burn.
Queensland’s Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young has said air quality has improved enough for authorities to withdraw the smoke alerts from earlier this week.
“It’s better but we’re still not quite back to the crisp, clear Queensland air we’re used to,” she said.
“In general, air quality across the state has improved and we are withdrawing the whole-of-community warning. The amount of smoke in the atmosphere has reduced substantially.”
Asthmatics and people suffering from respiratory problems will still be at risk said Dr Young, and noted the elderly, children and people with pre-existing health conditions should still minimise time outside.
“It’s still especially important for vulnerable people to remain vigilant. The advice for them has not changed,” she said.
“People should continue to use common sense. If there are fires in your region and there is a lot of visible smoke you should reduce the amount of strenuous activity you are undertaking outside."
Further details and advice can be obtained from Queensland Health's website health@qld.gov.au
Effort picks up pace
MORE than 100 firefighting crews are battling 76 bushfires across Queensland.
The most significant fires are burning at Noosa North Shore, Woodgate in Bundaberg, and Kilkivan near Gympie.
Residents of these areas have been ordered by Queensland Fire and Emergency Services to leave now.
Fifteen homes have been confirmed lost during this wave of bushfires, with fourteen lost in the Cobraball fires near Yeppoon and one home lost in Cooroibah on the Sunshine Coast.
Today's weather will provide the first wave of reprieve for firefighters across the state.
Bureau of Meteorology meteorologist Livio Regano said there are no fire warnings today and there are no fire dangers that are higher than very high.
"We've had a southeasterly change that has cooled down the southeast corner, south of about Bundaberg and west to about Toowoomba," Mr Regano said.
"Winds are a little bit more stable because they're not as strong and not as dry. We're starting to get more humidity which doesn't sound like a big thing, but it knocks down the fire dangers a little bit and so does the reduced wind.
Mr Regano said firefighters will be straight back into it tomorrow with the return of northerly winds increasing temperatures and fire dangers.
"The Darling Downs will probably have a fire weather warning for tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday and the rest of the state will come close but not quite get there," he said.
Smoke haze will continue to blanket the southeast corner while bushfires burn, however the thickness will depend on wind conditions.
"There are fires all around us so no matter where the wind is blowing from we'll end up with haze from some fire somewhere," Mr Regano said.
"The haziest conditions for us are occuring when we get winds from New South Wales because that's where the biggest fires are."
OVERNIGHT
THREE Queensland communities remain under immediate evacuation orders while dozens of others are bracing for another day of bushfire extremes.
Residents near the Kilkivan, Noosa North Shore and Woodgate fires are still being told to leave now as bushfires burn out of control and threaten to have a significant impact on those communities.
Detectives were at the scene of the Noosa fires to determine the cause of the inferno, with Queensland Police Service Inspector Jon Lewis revealing they were strongly investigating the possibility of arson.
“Based on the fact that there have been three separate fires in the last 24 hours, and at this stage we’re unaware of any other possible ignition source, we’re absolutely looking at it possibly being deliberately lit,” he said.
At 4.55am at Woodgate, south of Bundaberg, a bushfire is burning near Woodgate Road and Woppis Road, and travelling towards Walkers Point Road, Woodgate.
An evacuation centre is open at the Isis Cultural Centre.
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At 5.25am at Kilkivan, near Gympie, large slow-moving fire is burning in the vicinity of the Des Simpson Memorial, heading in a south-easterly direction towards Thornside Road and Upper Thornside Road.
Crews have been working all night within both bushfire zones to strengthen containment lines.
At 6.10am at Noosa North Shore, the fire is contained, however this could change quickly and residents should not return to the area until authorities advise it is safe to do so. Road closures remain in place.
An evacuation centre has been established at the Noosa Leisure Centre on Wallace Drive.
It comes as more than 80 fires burned across the state yesterday and entire towns were being evacuated last night as extreme weather had firefighters scrambling to contain potentially devastating bushfires.
Immediate evacuation orders were in place for Woodgate in the Bundaberg region, Noosa North Shore on the Sunshine Coast, Pechey near Toowoomba and Kilkivan outside Gympie.
In total, 83 fires were yesterday burning across the state – the highest tally since last November when bushfires raged throughout central Queensland.
Miraculously, the only serious incident involved a helicopter pilot whose waterbombing craft crashed while helping to douse flames in Pechey.
He walked away from the crash, despite dramatic photos of the aftermath showing the chopper on its side with significant damage.
Noosa North Shore was one of the worst areas impacted yesterday, with the blaze igniting about 8.30am and forcing the evacuation of about 180 people.
Noosa Mayor Tony Wellington said the fire was within containment lines, however the shifting wind posed as a significant problem.
He said the community was still reeling from bushfires in recent months, with the most recent evacuation warnings for 8000 people being issued on Friday.
“It’s very emotionally taxing for residents to be evacuated once but let alone twice,” Cr Wellington said.
“Fortunately it’s a very resilient community and we have all chipped in and helped one another.”
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk hit out at arsonists causing havoc yesterday.
“You need to do the right thing by yourself and your community. Because it is the community that suffers by your reckless behaviour,” she said.
To the north, residents of Buxton and Woodgate in central Queensland were forced to flee their homes as a large bushfire headed for the town last night.
Fire crews and waterbombing aircraft rushed to contain the blazes with thick black smoke filling the air.
Firefighters warned the conditions meant they may be unable to prevent the fire from advancing, with the fire “posing a threat to all lives in its path”.
The Bureau of Meteorology last night warned there was no significant rainfall on the horizon, meaning most of the land affected would remain bone dry and burnt.
There may be some temporary reprieve for firefighters today however, as temperatures in parts of the state were predicted to last night drop by up to 10C.
The widespread fire emergency in both Queensland and large parts of NSW once again saw air quality levels plummet to “very poor” as thick smoke filled the air across the south-east.
Among the worst air quality levels in the state were Cannon Hill and Flinders View in the south-east, Hopeland and Upper Humburg in the southwest and The Gap at Mount Isa, which was rated the lowest in the state.
The poor air conditions are expected to linger throughout the week and into the weekend as blazes continue to burn in coming days.
Updates
Queensland Health has revoked smoke warnings across the state but urging people to remain vigilant while fires continue to burn. Queensland’s Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young has said air quality has improved enough for authorities to withdraw the smoke alerts from earlier this week.
“It’s better but we’re still not quite back to the crisp, clear Queensland air we’re used to,” she said.
“In general, air quality across the state has improved and we are withdrawing the whole-of-community warning. The amount of smoke in the atmosphere has reduced substantially.”
Asthmatics and people suffering from respiratory problems will still be at risk said Dr Young, and noted the elderly, children and people with pre-existing health conditions should still minimise time outside.
“It’s still especially important for vulnerable people to remain vigilant. The advice for them has not changed,” she said.
“People should continue to use common sense. If there are fires in your region and there is a lot of visible smoke you should reduce the amount of strenuous activity you are undertaking outside."
Further details and advice can be obtained from Queensland Health's website health@qld.gov.au
– Gerard Cockburn
THE New England Highway has re-opened near Pechey, just north of Hampton, which was closed overnight due to a large bushfire in the area.
The fire, which was last night at an emergency level with residents told to leave immediately, has now been downgraded to a watch and act level.
But the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services have said conditions could still get worse.
"Currently as at 4.35am on Thursday, November 14, a slow-moving fire is travelling in a westerly direction between Pechey and Hampton," QFES said."It is expected to impact Deeth Road, Lanyon Road, Williams Road, Pechey Forestry Road, Misty Mountain Road and the New England Highway within the next 24 hours. The fire is expected to have a significant impact on the community.
"The New England Highway which was previously closed north of Munro Road has now reopened.
"QFES and HQ Plantations crews continue to patrol the area.
"Fire crews are working to contain the fire but firefighters may not be able to protect every property. You should not expect a firefighter at your door.
'People in the area will be affected by smoke, which will reduce visibility and air quality.
"Residents evacuating should travel south along the New England Highway towards an evacuation centre which has been established at Highfields Indoor Sports Centre, O'Brien Road, Highfields."
In a post to Facebook this morning the Hampton Rural Fire Brigade said a a wind drop overnight slowed the fire down.
"Last night's wind drop really helped us get on top of it to the point where crews were able to have good breaks," they said.
"Today our aim is to get it back to advice level, or even better.
"(The fire) is still travelling west toward the Highway, which is now open."
– Tobi Loftus
