Two teens have been charged for allegedly lighting a bushfire that forced thousands of Sunshine Coast residents to flee their homes to escape the inferno.
Nearly 80 fires are still burning in Queensland and 42 in NSW.
Milder temperatures have given bushfire crews a chance to get dozens of blazes under control before the fire danger spikes again on Friday. This live blog has now ended – here's how the day unfolded.
Updates
Abbott volunteers to fight NSW fires
Former prime minister Tony Abbott is fighting bushfires at Drake in northern NSW.
Mr Abbott is a volunteer with the Davidson brigade of the NSW Rural Fire Service, which deployed to the NSW north coast last week before finding itself near Tenterfield.
Here's Mr Abbott last November battling a fire near houses along Lemon Tree Passage Road in Salt Ash:
Local MP Barnaby Joyce paid tribute to his former coalition party room colleague in parliament on Wednesday.
“What we are encountering in regional areas is the most exceptional drought in Australia’s written history,” Mr Joyce said.
“I would like to comment on a person who is currently fighting bushfires in these dire circumstances and that is the former prime minister of Australia, the Honourable Tony Abbott, who as we speak is at Drake fighting a bushfire in my electorate.”
– Paul Osborne, AAP
Teens charged over Sunshine Coast bushfire
Two teens have been charged for allegedly lighting a bushfire that forced thousands of Sunshine Coast residents to flee their homes to escape the inferno.
Police alleged a group of young people set the blaze in bushland on Monday afternoon before it quickly spread towards Peregian Beach.
A 14-year-old Peregian Springs boy and a 15-year-old Coolum Beach girl have been charged with endangering particular property by fire.
– Sonia Kohlbacher, AAP
'Cheers went up'
Jubilant cheers rang out across Queensland’s Sunshine Coast as thousands of people forced to flee a bushfire were told they could return home amid eased conditions.
Milder temperatures are giving bushfire crews across Queensland a brief opportunity to get blazes under control before the fire danger spikes again on Friday.
Almost 80 fires are still burning from the southeast corner to Lockhart River in the far north, with 33,000 hectares of bushland destroyed since the crisis began late last week.
The most dangerous blaze at Peregian on the Sunshine Coast was downgraded overnight on Wednesday but thousands of Sunshine Coast residents were still displaced as the day began.
More than 5000 people from 2500 homes were evacuated within 24 hours after Monday’s fire, which could have been deliberately lit, broke out. By mid-morning Wednesday, police told residents of Peregian Beach, Marcus Beach and Castaways Beach – areas east of the National Park – it was now safe to go home.
Noosa Council Mayor Tony Wellington said the news was met with glee. “People were at the road blocks to wait to get back to their homes and as soon as the road blocks were lifted there was significant jubilation – cheers went up,” he said.
“I know many people will be relived to get back to assess the damage.”
People evacuated from Peregian Breeze, Weyba and Weyba Downs cannot yet go home as fire crews still fight to fully contain the fire.
Queensland Fire and Emergency Services Deputy Commissioner Mike Wassing said other fires burning across the state were not threatening any properties. “The fires are doing what we expected them to do and conditions are looking good over the next couple of days, but we’ve still got a lot more work to do,” he said.
The Bureau of Meteorology’s Richard Wardle says cooler temperatures and lighter winds on Wednesday and Thursday are favourable for firefighters, who are being given support from interstate crews.
However, the fire danger will spike again on Friday and Saturday when temperatures rise again.
“I suppose the good news is that even though we’re going to see a south-westerly wind burst like we did over the past weekend, we’re not expecting that to be as strong as we experienced over the past weekend,” Mr Wardle said.
Seventeen homes and five commercial properties have been destroyed by bushfires since Thursday, with many more damaged.
A special police task force has been established to investigate whether any of the fires were caused by arson.
Detectives have already established that ten fires – in Brisbane, Stanthorpe, the southeast and central Queensland regions – were deliberately lit. Eight of those were set by juveniles.
Some had been cautioned and others will be dealt with by the courts. Authorities have renewed calls for parents to reinforce the message about the devastating effects these fires can cause.
Police have also stated there are no confirmed reports of looting.
– AAP
Sunshine Coast residents head home
On the Sunshine Coast, all the emergency evacuation centres are now closed, all major roads are open and all residents are being allowed back into their homes.
Berejiklian to visit NSW bushfire areas
NSW firefighters are in a “race against time” to control three massive bushfires in the state’s north before conditions are expected to worsen over the weekend.
Warnings for the blazes at Bees Nest near Armidale, Drake near Tenterfield, and Shark Creek in the Clarence Valley were on Wednesday downgraded to ‘advice’ levels after the threat eased overnight.
Emergency alerts had been issued for two-of-the-three fires but easing winds helped fire crews get the upper hand and slow their spread.
But the fires are so big – especially the blazes near Armidale and Tenterfield – that it could take days or even weeks to bring under control, NSW Rural Fire Service deputy commissioner Rob Rogers said.
“It’ll be a bit of a race against time to try and get as much containment as we can on the fires ahead of the worsening conditions,” he told Nine’s Today Show. “The short of it is, we’re not out of the woods yet.”
While conditions were better on Wednesday, winds and temperatures are forecast to pick up on the weekend.
Nine homes have been destroyed along with 34 outbuildings. Most of the losses occurring at the Drake fire.
The Bees Nest fire has razed more than 66,500 hectares and is still burning close to homes and properties, but activity has eased.
The Long Gully Road blaze at Drake has burnt about 43,400 hectares and continues to spread in a number of directions due to winds and local terrain, but conditions have also eased.
Meanwhile, the Shark Creek fire has torn through about 9000 hectares. “There’s a lot of hard, dirty dangerous work ahead potentially extending into weeks,” Mr Rogers said.
At midday on Wednesday, 41 bush and grass fires were burning across NSW – 20 of them uncontained.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian will visit the firegrounds on Wednesday to see the damage first hand.
She received a briefing in Glen Innes with Deputy Premier John Barilaro and Emergency Services Minister David Elliott, before heading to Tenterfield, Drake and Tyringham.
– AAP
'Words can't describe what we see on the job'
Queensland Police have released bodycam footage taken by officers during from Monday night's fire at Peregian.
"This wasn't just another day at the office for our crews on the Sunshine Coast," police tweeted.
"Sometimes words can't describe the things we see on the job. Monday night was one of those times."
The footage shows a police officer riding down a road on a motorbike surrounded on both sides by fire.
Burning embers can be seen raining down around them as they get closer to the massive bush fire.
The officer is seen directing traffic, telling fleeing residents to continue to head north.
In another shot an officer enters a home and tells a resident they need to leave immediately as the fire was right behind their house.
Dash cam footage from a police car also showed a fire suddenly exploding across the road in front of them.
This wasn’t just another day at the office for our crews on the Sunshine Coast. Sometimes words can’t describe the things we see on the job. Monday night was one of those times. #bushfire#peregianpic.twitter.com/chGMcGM2sO
There are now 41 fires still burning in NSW, with 20 still uncontained.
All fires have been dowgraded to "Advice" level.
At midday there are 41 bush and grass fires burning across NSW, with 20 uncontained. Thanks to favourable conditions overnight and this morning, all fires are at Advice. Firefighters will continue to work to strengthen containment lines over the coming days. #NSWRFS#nswfirespic.twitter.com/LSYRhlLQGc
Authorities have warned that conditions will worsen later in the week with a warmer air mass bringing temperatures in Queensland’s southern interior up to eight degrees above average.
There will also be strong winds which will combine to create very high fire dangers.
In a media conference with Acting Premier Jackie Trad, emergency service representatives confirmed while there were a “significant number of fires” still burning, there were no new impacts on local communities expected.
After asking for interstate assistance, 48 firefighters from Victoria and South Australia will soon arrive to take over from the 55 NSW firefighters who have been helping out.
Police urged the community to “remain vigilant” but confirmed there were still no deaths or missing persons in relation to the fires, and no new injuries.
Evacuation centres are still operating on the Sunshine Coast although most people have now left as repatriation begins.
Police also revealed there had been no reported cases of looting so far.
Meanwhile, dramatic before and after aerial shots show the extent of the damage at Peregian Beach.
Residents urged to 'know where your kids are'
Local mayors from the Sunshine Coast have fronted the media to remind residents to "know where your kids are" after a number of juveniles were found to have deliberately lit blazes in the region.
Noosa Mayor Tony Wellington reminded locals of the need to be vigilant with weather conditions expected to worsen in the days ahead.
He said the devastating Queensland fires were a timely reminder for everyone – especially children – of "how dangerous fire can be".
He said footage taken from the fire zone revealed just how "life-threatening" the situation was.
Before and after shots of a Peregian Beach petrol station show the ferocity of the blaze.
Locals return home to inspect fire damage
Locals are smiling widely, putting on their sprinklers and holding their breath as they are allowed into Peregian Beach for the first time since a ferocious bushfire ripped through their home town.
One old wooden home overlooking the beach on Plover Steet has been totally destroyed.
It is blocked off by police tape and the owner is nowhere to be seen.
Locals can be seen driving around to inspect the damage to the town and taking pictures on their phones.
Remarkably, most of the homes seen by news.com.au appear to be undamaged and the lawns are still green.
There's a large police presence and council workers can be seen picking up debris from the streets.
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