Firefighters ready for tough fight in face of dire weather forecast

Firefighters fear hot weather and strong winds will fuel the resurgence of a fierce bushfire in the Gold Coast hinterland which is the worst some residents have ever seen

FIREFIGHTERS fear hot weather and strong winds will fuel the resurgence of a fierce bushfire in the Gold Coast hinterland, described by some residents as the worst they have seen.

The fire, raging in dense bushland at Sarabah, south of Canungra, has been burning for almost a week and had swept through more than 680ha by Thursday.

Some residents are reported to have evacuated, but the fire service has not been involved or given the order to leave.

Firefighters brace for the worst ahead of terrible fire conditions forecast for Friday. Picture: Nigel Hallett

It is not yet known what sparked the fire.

Rural Fire Service (RFS) incident controller Kaye Healing, who has been managing firefighting efforts from Canungra Fire Station, said about 20 trucks, three watertankers and 60 firefighters were on the ground, conducting backburning operations and installing dozer lines.

Helicopters had been used to waterbomb the burning bushland.

No people or farm animals had been reported injured, or properties damaged.

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Firefighters have been undertaking extensive backburning to combat the bushfire. Picture: Nigel Hallett

About 20 trucks and 60 firefighters were on the ground, conducting backburning operations and installing dozer lines on Thursday. Picture: Nigel Hallett

Locals said some of the region’s residents had left their homes, but the RFS had not been involved in any of the self-evacuations and could not provide details.

Ms Healing said firefighters, who have travelled from across the southeast, were steeling themselves for a frantic battle on Friday as conditions were expected to deteriorate.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has forecast a sunny day with temperatures of 28 degrees at Canungra, accompanied by winds of up to 39 knots.

“We’re preparing before conditions worsen. It’s absolutely critical,” Ms Healing said.

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A bushfire continued to rage in the Gold Coast hinterland near Sarabah on Thursday. Picture: Bonogin Valley Rural Fire Brigade

The fire along the ridge behind the Beechmont Road property inching closer. Picture: Marc Riley

On Thursday night, Canungra resident Marc Riley and his family self-evacuated after a second grass fire crept up the back of the ridge at their Beechmont Road property.

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“We’re at ground zero in Canungra, at a friend’s house,” he said.

“We’re okay … but a friend over the ridge, we had to go get their chickens, they’re in the back of our ute, and had to get the horses too, it’s pretty fierce out there. All the animals, including the dogs, are here.”

Meanwhile, the owner of Blackbird Country Pies & Sweets at Canungra, Lorretta Thomson, said the blaze was one of the worst she had seen, despite living in the area for more than two decades.

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Owner of Blackbird Country Pies & Sweets at Canungra, Lorretta Thomson. Picture: Luke Mortimer

A kangaroo trying to find safety. Picture: Nigel Hallett

“For the people out there, it’s just so scary for them,” she said.

“This is what we’ll be facing again in summer, I think.”

Biddaddaba resident Joe Bunch said some of his friends had been forced to evacuate.

He and his partner watched from her home in Geiger Rd as the “scary” fire crept close on Wednesday night.

“Late (Wednesday) we sat on her deck and we watched the fire come over the hill,” he said.

“One of my mates had two helicopters flying over his house dropping water. It’s been pretty hectic.”

Mr Bunch has lived in the hinterland since he was a child and said the fire was the worst he had seen.

A bird flies over the devastation. Picture: Nigel Hallett

“We’ve gone so long without a bit of rain, mixed with all this dry stuff on the ground,” he said.

“A little spark has just gone up and caused half a valley to be taken down.”

Canungra resident Luke O’Connor said residents had donated to pay for snacks for the RFS.

“You may not see that sort of thing on the Goldie, but in the little towns when things go wrong everyone sort of chips in and does their bit,” he said.

“It’s a great little community.”

A total fire ban has been in force in the region.

Crews will remain on site overnight. As of 8.30pm Thursday, there were no properties under threat, a Queensland Fire and Emergency Services spokeswoman said.

Firefighters were also called to a grass fire near Beechmont Rd, near the Kokoda Barracks at Canungra on Thursday night.