QFES provides update after busy weekend for fire fighters

Relief crews have hit the front lines fighting bushfires burning in the Far North which saw a water bombing helicopter battling a blaze near Cooktown over the weekend and more crews batting huge fire near Millstream.

Authorities have extended a fire ban into next week after a busy weekend for fire services saw a water bombing helicopter dispatched to a Cooktown bushfire on Sunday and relief crews arriving from the south to fight a Millstream blaze.

The ban on fires across huge swathes of the Far North was imposed on Wednesday and has now been extended till Monday October 30 in response to hot weather, tinder dry conditions and established fires on the Atherton Tablelands.

QFES director of regional opperations, superintendent Adam Gwin, provided an update on the fires burning across the region on Monday afternoon.

“At this time we have nine areas of interest with 18 appliances working on containment and mitigation activities,” he said.

Fires have been burning across the Far North for the last week with dry conditions keeping fire crews busy.

“Two warnings have now been downgraded with the fire near cook town downgraded to advice level to avoid smoke and the fire near Koah being lifted all together.”

Fires at Millstream, Lakeland and near Mareeba remain at avoid smoke advice level.

Mr Gwin said that much need reinforcements had arrived to assist volunteers ahead of another hot and dry week.

“Our staff were pretty fatigued but we have had 22 fresh personnel arrive who are on the front lines now giving the volunteers a chance to take a bit of a break ahead of more of the same weather on the way,” he said.

“We are constantly in contact with the BOM and there is certainly no indication of any rain that will make our job a bit easier.”

Over last week and into the weekend a fire burning south of Millstream on the Atherton Tablelands burnt through a large area of bush in the vicinity of Quimber Creek and a prepare to leave notice was issued for Millstream Parade residents on Saturday afternoon.

Firefighters undertake back burning activities on the Atherton Tablelands. Picture: Peta Davis-Staples

Far North Rural Fire Service regional manager Lawrence Laing said on Sunday the area had been made safe and a team of 16 volunteers from the south were coming in to relieve weary firefighters that have battled the blaze for more than a week.

He said the goal was to prevent the Millstream blaze linking up with another huge fire burning north of Cameron Creek at Glen Ruth.

Fire crews have been kept busy over the weekend as warm and dry conditions led to multiple fires burning throughout the Far North. Here smoke can be seen from a fire near Mareeba.

A fire still burning west of Walkamin has moved east into accessible areas and was of minor concern, compared with a fire threatening properties on Cameron Creek Rd and Barretts Creek Rd in the Endeavour Valley north west of Cooktown.

On Sunday afternoon a prepare to leave notice was issued for these areas before the alerts were downgraded on Monday.

Five vehicles staffed by up to 30 firefighters and a specialist helicopter had been sent to fight the fire.

Far North Rural Fire Service regional manager Lawrence Laing superintendent Lawrence Laing. Picture: Alison Paterson

Mr Laing said the scale of recent fire outbreaks was expected at this time of year however a short window this year between rain ending and fires starting had impeded hazard reduction burns.

“It’s a very tight timeline between being too wet and being dry enough to burn,” he said.

Fire bans were initially in place until midnight on Monday October 23, but given the number of blazes Mr Laing made the case for an extension.

“I applied to head office for it to be extended,” he said.

On Monday afternoon it was confirmed by QFES that the total fire ban had been extended for another week till midnight Monday, October 30 with a week of hot conditions predicted.

Under a local fire ban all open fires are prohibited and all previously issued fire permits granted within areas mentioned have been cancelled.

Fire crews near Mareeba.

The Queensland Fire and Emergency Services ban extends to much of the Far North including

Aurukun, Cairns, Cook, Douglas, Hope Vale, Kowanyama, Lockhart River, Mapoon, Napranum, Northern Peninsula Area, Pormpuraaw, Torres, Torres Strait, Weipa, Wujal Wujal, Yarrabah, Cassowary Coast, Mareeba, Tablelands, Croydon and Etheridge local government Areas.

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Originally published as QFES provides update after busy weekend for fire fighters