Total fire ban in place across southwest Queensland as extreme temperatures forecast

Authorities have forecast extreme fire conditions across the Darling Downs and southwest, with fears that even the smallest spark may set off a large, fast moving fire that could have the potential to destroy property and claim lives.

A total fire ban is in place across southwest Queensland, including Toowoomba, Warwick, Dalby and Roma with extreme weather conditions forecast for the next several days.

Rural Fire Service regional manager rural operations Wayne Waltisbuhl called on the public to heed the warning as any fire had the potential to spread quickly, fanned by dry hot winds.

“Conditions are really dry at the moment and it is necessary to limit any sort of ignition source across these areas,” he said.

“Less fire on the landscape, the better for us at the moment.

“Simple sparks can very quickly erupt and cause fires to be out of control, making it very difficult for crews to manage those fires, fire bans are in place to alert people to the danger of that current situation that we’ve got.”

QFES aircrews captured this photos of a bushfire burning at Deepwater on Sunday where several properties were evacuated and some roads closed.

Anyone caught lighting an unauthorised fire during the ban faces fines up to $77,000 and six months in jail.

The fire ban will remain in place until 12am Wednesday but that may be extended and applies to the Toowoomba, Southern Downs, Western Downs, Lockyer Valley, Goondiwindi, Balonne and Maranoa Local Government Areas.

QFES Acting Assistant Commissioner Jason Lawler and Wayne Waltisbuhl, Regional Manager Rural Operations are urging residents to heed a total fire ban that is in place across the Darling Downs, Southern Downs, Western Downs and Maranoa Local Government Areas.

“There are some exemptions to that with cooking fires and warmth fires,” Mr Waltisbuhl said.

“But every fire that we see now is an unauthorised fire through the fire ban.”

The Queensland Fire and Emergency Service weather models show extreme conditions may ease by the weekend but are expected to return early next week. It is likely that QFES will enforce a second fire ban at this time.

While Mr Waltisbuhl said the ban did not cover ‘hot work’ such as using welders or slashing grass he urged landholders to rethink their need to do that work now.

“Over the last couple of months a number of fires have started from welding and grinding in dry grass areas,” he said.

“If people have to do these works at the moment, we ask that you have a spotter observing from a distance to see what’s happening.

“Maybe in these bad conditions, we might be able to find some alternative ways or put that work off for some time until conditions ease a bit.”

QFES aircrews captured this photos of a bushfire burning at Deepwater on Sunday where several properties were evacuated and some roads closed.

Landholders doing hot work are reminded to have a water source at hand if sparks start a grass fire.

QFES crews responded to several fast moving grass fires to the weekend, including a flare-up at Tara that is under investigation.

Mr Waltisbuhl said any signs of fire will be met with a rapid deployment of resources, including water bombers.

“Our biggest strength is rapid response, with a good weight of attack on every fire,” he said.

“These are really dangerous situations and placing local fire bans on is not an easy decision that we make.”

Originally published as Total fire ban in place across southwest Queensland as extreme temperatures forecast