Coast hinterland a ‘lunar landscape’ as fire ravages the mountains

From Tabletop Road, what is left of the Sarabah Valley corridor looks more like a lunar landscape than a habitable piece of the once lush Scenic Rim and Gold Coast hinterland.

From Tabletop Road, what is left of the Sarabah Valley corridor looks more like a lunar landscape than a habitable piece of the once lush Scenic Rim.

The black and charred bowl of a valley was still burning in places yesterday afternoon as members of the Canungra rural fire brigade stood guard.

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Total valley devastation at Sarabah on Monday, September 9, 2019 in the destructive southeast Queensland bush fires. Picture: Kirstin Payne

Tired and coated in a thick paste of ash and sweat, these locals had fought for days alongside volunteers from NSW and Queensland’s south east to keep the violent wildfire at bay.

In some areas however the steep terrain proved too difficult to get to, leaving the forces helpless to do anything but watch.

Peter Roberts, an equine dentist by trade, had been on the front line of the blaze for over a week and said the carnage was like nothing he had ever seen.

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Acres of devastation. Picture: Kirstin Payne

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“You have limited access up on the ridges and high winds, you can’t get trucks in there.

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“There were moments when you virtually had to wait for the fire to come to you,” he told the Bulletin from his post.

From his viewing point he spoke with the Member for Scenic Rim Jon Krause about the sleepless nights his team had spent setting up fire breaks and battling spit fires.

The sounds of helicopter water drops nearing Lamington National Park are a constant beat behind the howls of the wind.

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”At one point on Friday we saw the flames jump up a ridge in less than ten minutes,” Mr Roberts said. Picture: Kirstin Payne

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“At one point on Friday we saw the flames jump up a ridge in less than ten minutes,” Mr Roberts said.

“It has been bad but we are feeling optimistic.”

Mr Krause, a rural firefighter himself, said the region would take time to recover and offered some wise words to those wanting to thank the firies.

“The situation is shattering for those that have lost homes and those who have lost feed,” he said.

“The drought has already been devastating to people. Now even if rain arrives there is no guarantee anything has been left to sprout or if roots have been burnt out entirely.

“What I can say is if you see a volunteer firefighter, buy them a beer.”