Ill winds reignite menace for firefighters

Firefighters battling more than 50 blazes across Queensland expect to face wind changes from three directions on Wednesday.

Destroyed trucks that were caught in a blaze at Possum Brush. Picture: AAP

Firefighters battling more than 50 blazes throughout Queensland are expected to face wind changes from three directions as severe fire danger conditions persist on Wednesday.

A cold front moving into southern Queensland is forecast to increase wind speeds, fanning the flames and again blanketing the southeast in a haze of smoke from fires burning in NSW.

Bushfires near Rosevale southwest of Ipswich, Kilkivan west of Gympie and Yeppoon east of Rockhampton posed the greatest risk on Tuesday.

A fire burning towards Rathdowney, west of the Gold Coast, prompted the evacuation of 130 prisoners from the low-security Palen Creek Prison Farm on Tuesday afternoon.

Soldiers were called in to help create fire breaks with bulldozers to combat the advancing flames. Twelve homes have been destroyed by fires in Queensland in the past week and conditions, which had eased on Monday and Tuesday morning, intensified on Tuesday night as wind speed increase­d.

“We’re going to have severe conditions today and tomorrow, especially in the Darling Downs and Granite Belt and around the southeast coast,” Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said on Tuesday.

“We’re watching in central Queensland as well.”

READ MORE: Live coverage — new fire fronts break out | After fires, issues to resolve: Kelly | Days now weeks for exhausted heroes | Relief as armageddon avoided | Military may be put in firing line | Another blow for face of bushfire crisis | ‘Obnoxious uncle’ Joyce under attack

The Bureau of Meteorology predicted that a cold front moving into Queensland would increase wind speeds and cause the smoke haze that covered the region on Monday to return on Wednesday.

“The winds are really all over the place, from northerly, right round to southeasterly as we go through tomorrow,” Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Victoria Dodds said. “That obviously makes it really challenging for the firefighters because you’ve got that complication in the winds.”

No significant rainfall is predict­ed for the next few days, but an increase in humidity along the coastline on the weekend is expected to ease conditions.

Gallery: Firefighters battle NSW, Queensland blazes

VIEW GALLERY

The Queensland Health Depart­ment’s warning urging people to stay indoors is expected to remain in place for the rest of the week, despite clearer skies and improved air quality over most of the state on Tuesday.

Several major employers heeded the warning, including contractors on the massive Queens Wharf project in inner-city Brisbane, who ceased outdoor work.

Several other construction sites throughout the city were empty on Tuesday.

Brisbane City Council limited the number of its 10,000 staff working outdoors.

The smoke plume, which has reached as far as New Zealand, ­severely reduced air quality on Monday and prompted the state’s Chief Health Officer, Jeannette Young, to issue an extraordinary “whole of community” warning for people to stay indoors and for employers to re-task outdoor staff.

A Queensland Health spokeswoman told The Australian on Tuesday that the warning remained in place, despite the visib­ly reduced haze.

People with vulnerabilities are particularly advised to remain indoor­s.

The spokeswoman said air quality had improved but remained “very poor” and was likely to stay that way as fire conditions worsened throughout the week.

The World Air Quality Index showed southeast Queensland’s air pollution levels, which had been rated “very unhealthy” on Monday, had improved to “moderate­” or “good” by Tuesday morning.