Dry heat to fuel bushfire danger in Queensland, NSW

Fire conditions in Queensland and NSW are expected to worsen as authorities prepare for another hellish week.

Firefighters battling a bushfire in Peregian Springs on Monday. Picture: AAP

Fire conditions in Queensland and NSW are expected to ­worsen as authorities ­prepare for another hellish week of “very high” bushfire danger ratings.

Dry winds are forecast to ­coincide with warmer temperatures and reduced humidity in southern Queensland, where bushfires have destroyed at least 17 homes this month.

Fires in the mountainous Gold Coast hinterland and at Mount Archer near Rockhampton continued to burn uncontained on Thursday, but posed no threat to property. About 60 blazes remain active around Queensland. Acting Fire Commissioner Mike Wassing warned that dangerous conditions were likely to persist for months. “What we’re seeing is extraordinary: extraordinary dry conditions, with the extremes of dry winds and ­higher temperatures, this will continue for weeks and potentially months,” he said. “There is no outlook for rain.”

The Bureau of Meteorology forecast temperatures would rise into the “low to mid-30s” by early next week — up to 8C above average.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk returned to Queensland on Thursday to deal with the bushfire emergency.

Ms Palaszczuk, who left last Saturday when dozens of fires were burning throughout the state, defended her decision to fly to Switzerland during the disaster, saying she did not know people were going to illegally light fires in her absence. Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington has criticised Ms Palaszczuk’s trip to Europe, saying: “The Premier should never have left Queensland in the first place (while) Queensland was facing these catastrophic bushfires.”

Ms Palaszczuk cut her trip short, flying home after her meeting with IOC president Thomas Bach and cancelling her plans to inspect Paris’s preparations to host the 2024 Games.

“I had to do my job (in ­Europe) and as soon as I could leave, I left and came straight back,” the Premier said.

“We have the frontline emergency services personnel here (who) just did an outstanding job.

“They’re the ones who do the emergency evacuations and I’m very pleased today to be here to thank them for their hard work.”

Ms Palaszczuk said she could not have sent one of her ministers instead, because the IOC invitation had come specifically addressed to her.

Police have arrested and charged two teenagers over the Peregian fire, which took three days to bring under control and destroyed one house and ­swathes of bushland.