Gold Coast fires: Community helps put out fires close to homes with buckets of water

A woman in an electric wheelchair joined teenagers by pouring water on a bushfire yesterday as a desperate measure to keep it away from homes.

A WOMAN in an electric wheelchair joined teenagers by pouring water on a bushfire to help save a Gold Coast swimming pool.

For two hours yesterday, Fleur Rington collected buckets filled by her daughter in a nearby creek and transported them to the fire that threatened the Helensvale Aquatic Centre.

The pools, close to Helensvale High School, were evacuated about 3.50pm. The 5000sq m fire later came within 10m of the back gates.

A dozen school kids bailed water from a creek drain to help firefighters.

“We were coming back from getting groceries in Helensvale and we saw the firetrucks go back and thought ‘s***, that’s close to our house’,” Ms Rington said.

“It looked really bad. We came down and started helping out.

“I scooted around and asked people for buckets.

“I figured, ‘I’m probably quicker than people walking with buckets’, so I was dumping them on our knees and running them up.”

Christine Rington (front) with some of the volunteers helped extinguish the Helensvale bushfire. Photo: Tim Marsden

BUSHFIRE BREAKS OUT BEHIND HELENSVALE AQUATIC CENTRE

Ms Rington’s daughter Christine, 24, jumped into a nearby drain and started bailing buckets.

Her 21-year-old autistic son Dion took off his top and put it over his mouth and nose to fight the flames.

“We had a chain going,” Ms Rington said.

“We (were) bloody exhausted. I feel like we’ve been helpful, especially for me – I don’t get to feel helpful very often.”

The fire, still smouldering at 4.45pm, was one of three fires on the Gold Coast yesterday as hot, gusty winds added to the severe threat sweeping the city.

A bushfire fire in Beenleigh forced the evacuation of a major shopping centre while residents of a suburban street dowsed their back fences with water to keep the flames at bay.

Beenleigh Marketplace was blanketed in smoke while across the train tracks, residents of Wardell Crescent were on alert for several hours before the fire fizzled out.

The nearby train line served as a buffer, protecting homes from any major threat.

GET FULL DIGITAL ACCESS: $5 PER MONTH FOR THE FIRST 3 MONTHS

Fleur Rington and her 21-year-old son Dion helping to put out flames yesterday. Photo: Tim Marsden

‘LONG WAY TO GO’ IN FIGHT AGAINST NSW AND QLD BUSHFIRES

The thick blanket of smoke reduced traffic to a standstill on the nearby M1 and off-ramps leading to Beenleigh during the peak-hour afternoon commute, but there was no damage to property.

In the Gold Coast Hinterland, a blaze at Lower Beechmont continued to burn easterly within containment lines, to the west of North Rd, Freemans Rd and Outlook Ave.

QFES Acting Superintendent for the Gold Coast area Bruce Trickey said it was a large fire and would take time to control.

“So far everything is going to plan,” he said.

“We look ahead so we’ve been taking advantage of the weather conditions.”

Increased winds and temperatures, as well as lowered humidity is set to strike the Gold Coast and Scenic Rim region in coming days, bringing more dangerous fire conditions.

Seqwater also declared yesterday that a number of lakes and recreational areas, including the Hinze Dam, had been closed to water users until further notice.

A spokesman said the dam was being used to refill firefighting aircraft.

Council declared all three campgrounds on South Stradbroke Island would be shut down indefinitely due to the fire risk.

Firefighters on scene at the Helensvale bushfire yesterday. Photo: Tim Marsden

A number of trails and walking paths in the Hinterland have also been closed to stop hikers getting trapped by moving bushfires.

About 35 firefighters and 11 trucks had been tasked to the Lower Beechmont blaze, assisted by several dozen members of the Australian Defence Force.

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate urged residents to stay alert, warning it was “everyone’s responsibility” to stay on top of fire alerts and health declarations, as well as the closure of some facilities.

He said hopes of rainfall this weekend had been all but dashed.

“We look at long-term forecasts for the weather. There was the chance of a shower on Sunday but that chance is diminishing,” he said.

“We want rain desperately.”

Sunday remains the city’s best hope for rain, with the Bureau of Meteorology predicting a 60 per cent chance of showers in the western suburbs.